Should the client attend the Home Inspection?
A popular question we are often asked as home inspectors – usually from the Realtors on behalf of their clients, is: “Should my client attend the home inspection?”
My answer is always an emphatic YES! They should try and be there.
Ideally, and if possible, the client should always attend the home inspection. It is essential for the client to be there in order to see and experience our findings in person, in order to understand the relevance of the condition, and the urgency of the need of a repair (if any is needed).
In my experience, 90% of the time, if the client does not attend the home inspection, once they receive the inspection report, they will freak out and not move forward with the purchase the home. And the reason is, they were not present during the home inspection to understand the relevance and urgency of the conditions noted at the home.
Actually seeing the issue and being able to converse with the inspector is integral to understanding what we are describing.
Most people need the experience of actually being there and seeing the condition.
Now for a home inspector, it IS better when the client isn’t present at the inspection, because it allows the inspector to move through the home faster and more efficiently. But for First Choice Home Inspection, that means the report is going to be more difficult to write, because more detail will be needed in order to better convey the information to the absent client.
And there are situations were it’s just not possible for the client to be there. A perfect example from my past was when a client called me up and hired me to inspect a potential investment property from Hawaii. I asked the gentleman, “Are you going to be present for the inspection?” To which the client responded, “Dude, I live in Hawaii! So, NO. I won’t be there.”
At First Choice Home Inspection, we provide our clients the MOST comprehensive inspection report. So even if the client does not attend, they will be able to understand everything that we saw in the inspection.
Michael McCarty
NH Licensed Home Inspector # 316
Vermont Property Inspector License # 143.0134099
HUD 203k Consultant # P-1939
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