You can report on it but there is no way you can verify it. If a client does mention any maintenance work I asked that they provide the buyer with the receipts.
As a sidenote when I was strictly running a plumbing business I would have a maintenance contract with homeowners for $175 a year. That would include inspection of the water heater along with flushing once a year? For an additional fee at the five year mark I would replace the anode rod. The reason I don’t recommend reporting on the anode rod in a home inspection report is the water quality varies and there is no way a home inspector can determine the condition of that rod. It’s just one more item that can get you in trouble.
The best buildings I’ve done in over 17 years had about 3 or 4 issues, none of which was of great significance. That is including new construction, but in those cases slight cosmetic issues are included, which I would not report for older buildings that are typically cosmetically imperfect, unless they were related to functional issues, such as leakage.
For such near perfect buildings I include informational content and pics, such as on the age of mechanical systems, including pictures of their data tags with explanations of how the dates are coded, and pictures of areas they do not typically see, such as in the attic and on the roof, to show that features are in the condition stated in the report.
I got called this week for a rare general maintenance inspection for a homeowner. Only found 9 things and all but 2 were fairly ticky-tacky. Felt so bad I asked if they wanted a free radon test, lol. They accepted so now I feel better. Right in my hometown so no big deal to me.
Never feel bad for doing your job, unless you suk at what you do!
Next time, Congratulate them on maintaining their home properly and that you only found 9 issues, 7 of which were minor!!
Good point as always. They were a retired couple and could no longer use ladders or get down and look at things closer to the ground so I guess I had a soft spot in the ole heart. Very nice people, until they asked that I print out a copy of the report and bring it with when I pick up the radon. Who the heck prints out reports anymore, lol.
I do, upon request. Clients only. one copy only, and never for a realtor. I print average one per year. I used to have a copy printed and bound professionally at OfficeMax until they closed in my small town. Cost about $12-$15. Nobody left in town, so now I print them myself. (And yes, my fee accounts for these occasional, rare requests).
After 27 years in this business I have never found a perfect house, including some that my Dad and I built back in a previous lifetime. I tell my clients that if I ever did find one I would figure I had to have missed something and would start over. If you really did get that lucky then just fill out the informational part of your report, turn it in and smile, because you have a story to tell the rest of us.
