I am Alan from the St Louis area. Raised by a carpenter and custom painter/wallpaper hanger parents inside rehabs, Ive been around residential construction basically since I could swing a hammer.
I am a jack of all trades. I started as a painter and taper, moved into low voltage and alarm systems/cctv and AV jobs including outside plant at AT&T. Ive been a handyman and trim carpenter as I get older…recently purchased a home and throughout the inspection process I realized I could do it about 90% already, so here I am
Ive completed roofs, structure and 25 standards so far!
Hey Alan, good to hear that you’ve got a solid background working on homes and getting into home inspection. How long have you been learning about the inspection business? Are you certified/licenced and up and running or still in the process of obtaining your license?
Still in the process of getting up and running. Learning about inspection biz? Maybe a year or so. There isn’t a license in my state (mo), but I am going through internachi courses for CPI anyway.
I just received my license yesterday, but there is so much information and knowledge involved in this business that I don’t know that I’m going through this InterNACHI platform to learn more. I’ve worked on homes since I was 13 helping my step dad build decks and install siding to building a home when I was 18 or 19 I think. I went to college for architecture, got certified as a locksmith and safe tech, opened a security shop, installed hidden doors, finished carpentry, and handyman services. I hurt my knees a few years ago and realized I can’t do the hard labor jobs forever. I kept running into home inspectors here and there and started asking questions and they were about half my age, so I said why not. The money seems to be right and it’s a bit easier on the body, so here I am. I’ve always enjoyed learning new things to make my job and my craft better so I’m soaking up all this information. I’m hopeful that I’ll have everything running part time within the next 3 to 6 months.
We are similar man. Running into inspectors and getting calls to fix things found on inspections really is what got me to get serious about becoming an inspector. I would rather find problems in door jams than fix em these days!
Plus Ive been on the shortcutting side of this business, (maintenance for slum lords) so I know what most cheats and cost cuts look like, around Stl anyway.
Yeah I’ve worked for a few of those guys. After two or three of those jobs I tripled my price and some people just don’t want high quality work..they would rather pay the cheap guys 3 or 5 times the price stretched over a few years than pay for quality. I had lots of five stars but could never really figure out the marketing aspect. Right before I hurt my knee I found a great website/ marketing guy who is able to do a lot at a reasonable price, so I’m gonna utilize him and talk to as many real estate guys within a 25 to 30 mile radius of my day job. I’ve got three guys that are going to use me, but unfortunately in my area there are a lot of guys with about the same background and made too many promises and missed to many things that they just kinda look at me like, sure I’ll give you a shot and we will see what happens.
So I’d really like to get through the CPI first. I’m positive that I can go through a home and do a killer job and make everyone pleased with the work without being a deal killer which is what the real estate agents seem to be fearful of. But it doesn’t seem to be due to catching things, it’s more of missing things that they could have worked out a deal and got a better price or as the one real estate agent said calling dirt on the wall possible mold, she had a home buyer call a mold agent for 2 or 3 hundred (not sure about the price )to come out for a mold test and quote to remove the possible mold only to find that it’s just dirt. The home buyer wasn’t happy nor was the mold company.
Thank you. We’ll see what happens regardless I got the hard stressful part out of the way, now it’s just time to learn and talk to people.
