Should the Client be Present During a Home Inspection?
Should you (the client) be present during the home inspection?
Being a home inspector I speak with a lot of people, some are my clients and others are the realtors. I have heard a lot of different opinions on this subject.
The realtors typically tell the client not to show up during the home inspection so that it can be done quickly and easily. There are others who recommend the client show up for the last hour of the inspection to speak with the inspector concerning his/her findings.
The clients I have spoken with have said they want to be there for the entire inspection and some just say they really don’t care to be there. I have had some clients walk with me side by side during the entire inspection asking me a thousand questions. Others will sit down somewhere and wait for me to show them things should they arise.
Then there is the inspectors view, I have heard from some realtors and clients that said the inspector told them they would rather the client not be there at all.
Here is my view on all of this and what I tell my clients. First of all, if a home inspector tells you that they do not want you there, is that a home inspector you want to have? Are they actually doing a quality inspection? Most of them are, but there are always those few bad eggs out there. I encourage my clients to show up for the inspection whether it is the entire inspection or the end of it so I can discuss with them what I have found. I will give them the option. I look at it this way……if I hired someone to do a job for me I would like to see where/what my money is going toward. I don’t micro manage, I’m just curious. I also like to explain things to them in person because they may not fully understand how I explain a concern in the report. This is especially true with new home buyers.
If I fill the report with a lot of issues (some small and some big) they are likely to be overwhelmed by all the problems when some of the concerns can be easily fixed/repaired by them in a weekend. If the client is there I can give them the reassurance they may need to correct a minor problem without hiring a contractor.
So, if you shopping for an inspector ask them if you should be there. See what they have to say, but be sure to let them know what you want also. The inspector works for you not the other way around.
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