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by Wally Conway,
Host
of the Home and Garden Show on WOKV
Being a home inspector is great. It's fun, it's interesting, and
I get to meet wonderful people. I know exactly what to do during
a home inspection. But what should the homebuyer be doing during
the home inspection?
In my mind, the primary responsibility of the homebuyer during
the home inspection is to observe and to listen. By watching
the routine of the inspector, the homebuyer will gain a comfort
with the home as well as the inspection process. The inspector has
the opportunity to present to and discuss with the homebuyer all
the many aspects of each component and system in the home. The goal
is to have no issues looming after the inspection.
That being said, active participation in the home inspection is
always a good thing. I love participation! How much participation
and by whom is an often debated question. Depending on an individual's
role in the transaction - buyer, seller, agent, or other interested
party - the intentions, interest, and involvement vary widely.
 A
sure fire test to tell how committed someone is to the participation
process is by asking who would like to go onto the roof. Many of
my home inspector buddies cringe when I speak of home buyers or
agents climbing roofs with me. However, with some good judgment
and a few precautions, it turns out just fine.
The fun begins when I ask, "Okay, who would like to get high
with me?" If anyone looks too enthused, I get a little nervous
thinking that they must have misinterpreted my question. But, after
a moment, most all recognize that it is time for the roof inspection.
No better way to inspect a roof than to climb up and walk around!
Every now and then, a home has a walk out balcony that lets us hop
the rail and stride smartly to the peak. But more often than not,
it is up the ladder we go.
The truth of it all is that less than 20% of homebuyers will venture
up the ladder to stroll their roof. And of that group, about half
are wearing inappropriate shoes or clothing for the ladder climb.
Relatively small portions of those who choose to climb just do not
appear physically able to make the ascent. If it does not look safe
to me, they are staying on the ground.
A few times people have objected to being told to remain on the
ground. Some have even insisted that this is their inspection, they
are paying me, and they will climb if they choose to. They are then
are told that it is my ladder and I decide who climbs it. I have
also not yet been paid for my services. I simply and calmly explain
that if they would like to play the "I'm not paying" card,
I can play my trump card, called "I'm not inspecting".
This is rare, but does get us all back to our proper places!
Walking on roofs is all well and good, but nothing separates the
bold from the meek in the arena of home inspection participation
quite like the subject of crawling in crawl spaces!
Florida is a wonderful place to live. Sunshine, beautiful beaches,
and a lifestyle that most of the rest of North America can only
dream of. It is the quest for that good life that attracts millions
of tourists every year as well as tens of thousands of new residents.
But some residents of Florida, the ones found in crawl spaces, can
bring fear to the heart of the bravest!
Traveling about the country to numerous home inspector events has
provided me much in the way of education and perspective on the
business of home inspecting. But whenever my peers discover I live
and inspect in Florida, the subject always turns to critters and
creatures in crawl spaces. With their eyes the size of grapefruits,
I can keep them mesmerized with my many tales. Those would be opossum
tales, snake tales, and gator tales!
They way these guys are captivated by the idea of an inspector
crawling on his belly under a home in Florida makes me feel like
Marlin Perkins from the old television show "Wild Kingdom".
I can recall being about eight years old listening to Marlin narrate,
"Jim will now wrestle the deadly 25 foot anaconda". Then
Jim, dressed in khaki shorts, shirt and a pair of lace up boots,
would proceed into the jungle marsh to risk life and limb while
Marlin kept on filming and narrating.
That Jim would have made one heck of a home inspector! If he wasn't
afraid of anacondas, you can bet he would be unafraid of real estate
agents!
Copyright © Florida HomePro, Inc. and Wallace
J. Conway. All rights in all media reserved.
About the Author: Wally Conway is your weekly Host of the Home
and Garden Show on WOKV, and author of the book "Secrets of the Happy
Home Inspector", available at GoHomePro.com.
Wally's expertise and experience has been sought after by HGTV's "House
Detective", DIY Network's "Finders Fixers", the National Association
of REALTORS®, newspapers, and corporations. As a speaker, writer, and instructor,
Wally blends the right amount of up-to-date information with just the right
amount of humor, insight, motivation, and real-world application. Visit WallyConway.com
for more information!
Reproduction of this article: Permission is granted to use this article
in any media provided that the article is reproduced in its entirety as shown
above, with the authors resource box/bio included including links to http://www.gohomepro.com
and http://www.wallyconway.com
as the original publisher.
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