Home inspectors contain a wealth of knowledge in their noggins. This knowledge ranges from from broad topics such as building materials and roofing, to very specific subjects like the proper wiring of a neutral bus bar and the differences in fecal matter from insect to insect. All this technical knowledge is obviously valuable, but a great home inspector is more than an encyclopedia of construction jargon and home deficiencies.
Depending on your perspective, the concept of a home inspection can be interpreted differently. From a real estate agent’s perspective, the home inspector is assessing the home for safety issues and providing an explanation of how to operate and maintain the systems of the home. From a home seller’s perspective, some guy is going into their home to tell their potential buyer about all the deferred maintenance that they forgot about.
However, from a home buyer’s perspective, a home inspection can be extremely stressful, and can make or break their dream of owning their own home.
In today’s day and age, a buyer typically spends anywhere from 15-30 minutes in a home before deciding to volunteer their life’s savings to buy it. By the time the home inspection comes around, the buyer has been smothered by concerns of financial stability and they have begun to envision a new life in a new location, all while tightly gripping the steering wheel of the high speed racecar that is the real estate market.
Oh, and let’s not forget that wonderful 10-day window to get the inspection completed in order to determine if that house is right for them. And if it isn’t, they must prepare to start the process all over again.
Now comes inspection day, and the buyer is so stressed about the ever-growing list of things that need to be done that they are overwhelmed before the inspection even begins.
Here comes the secret that differentiates good home inspectors from GREAT home inspectors. Are you ready?
A great home inspector gets to know their client, soaking up all the details of their occupation, personality, and level of home care knowledge. The use that knowledge to customize the way that the information is conveyed to their client.
A great home inspector knows that a civil engineer and a psychologist do not interpret information that same way, so they use different language to communicate the same message.
A great home inspector knows that a house that is missing a roof could easily scare off any buyer, but not his buyer. This buyer is a contractor, so he can add a roof, but he has a toddler, so he is more concerned about the 39 cent missing outlet cover.
A great home inspector understands that the unending amount of stress that buying a home can bring, and how to communicate serious safety concerns without scaring their client.
A great home inspector can crack jokes to lighten the mood, breaking the silence and uneasiness in a home with deficiencies that are less than funny.
A great home inspector knows that some clients require more detailed explanations of home deficiencies, and they will provide that detail both in person and within the report so that the buyer leaves the inspection feeling confident.
As you can see, a great home inspector does not just perform a home inspector. A great home inspector is someone who deeply cares about their clients and the safety of their families. A great home inspector is willing to put forth the time and effort to make sure that their client both receives the information and understands the systems of the home, while creating an environment of open communication.
Don’t just hire a good home inspector, hire the one who cares. Go for the great home inspector.