3 Uncommon Home Inspection Benefits Although a home inspection is always asmart investment, many home inspectors facilitate a bland, checklist style report. Hard to read and engage in, sometimes with unclear explanations and photos that provide little clarity. Eventually it’s filed and forgotten about, with education and impact opportunities fallen by the wayside.   An industry with relatively no change or adaption requires changing, at least a new perspective or unique way of presenting the information. Inspection companies, such asHome Fax™ Inspections, utilize creative ways to enhance and change the wayinspection reportsare viewed.   #1:No home is perfect. Every home requires continuous maintenance. One of the most important purposes of an inspection is to show a buyer what’s truly impacting their safety, well-being, and investment. People perceive differently, but consistency and clarity help avoid confusion and misunderstanding.  The way many reports are presented and communicated often determine a buyer’s perspective.   A checklist with multiple ‘defects’ running down a seemingly never ending list has a different effect than a consistent set of impact ratings that change “Satisfactory” comments (which is the most positive expression used by most inspectors) intoLow Impact ratingsthat show a buyer, ‘this is a positive aspect’, not a defect or deterrent.   #2:Every home has a story. Streamlined processes and organized flow of observations tell the story about your home, instead of checklists that fail topaint a picturebecause they’re disorganized to readers. Understand how a missing downspout extension affects the vapor barrier that led to mold and water penetration in the basement windows through a process of organized steps, for instance.   #3:Limitations on reports  Many inspectors are restricted and prohibited from fully inspecting the property and gathering additional information that reaches beyond the scope of the inspection. As a result, many buyers do not receive supplemental records, suchas Environmental Records and Hazards Reports, which may have a serious effect on their family’s well-being, health and safety.   True story:Home Fax Inspectionsviewed a 1,200 sq. ft. single story residence that was 20 years old, built in 1994, on 3 acres of land. Vertical cracks were present on the interior kitchen floor, with small staircase cracks along the wall facing the exterior. The outside corner, near the same exterior wall, had a 2” separation along the foundation. Environmental records showed that an underground river was running directly through that same section of thehomes foundation; the home was destined to crumble from the moment it was constructed.   If you’re thinking everyone, or at leasteveryone you hiredwould know that, why was a house constructed on a 3 acre parcel in the only small area that had an underground river? They didn’t know.   Even more, a standard inspection report would only tell you that 1) a structural crack was observed, and 2) staircase cracks were observed along the wall.   Which example paints the true picture?   Know the Home Before You Buy™ ...read more

Aquality home inspectionreaches beyond the scope of a one-day, one-report consultation. Many home buyers have a quality agent who understands and truly cares for their needs. These buyers are educated and informed along the way, leading them into home ownership with success and confidence.   Unfortunately though, some buyers do not come to ever fullyunderstand the purpose of a home inspection, and sometimes not until it’s too late. Often times the lack of understanding is the result of an uninformed viewpoint that the home inspection is ‘just another check in the process.’    Every home inspection should be considered an investment into the purchase of a property. Although a meager sum of the typical home price, a quality inspection report serves, among many purposes, as a continuous reference point for the owner, short and long-term. Agents, do your buyers have the chance to sit down and review the inspection report with you?  Do you follow up with the inspector after a buyer has received an inspection? Do you offer the buyer an opportunity to clear any misunderstanding or clarify anything about the home that may be beyond the scope the inspection? Receive critical environmental records that may contribute to their well-being? Home maintenance tips, easy-to-understand graphs or presentations, or even an explanation of the inspector’s role in the home buying process? The first step in maximizing the learning process for a buyer is having theright inspector. So, are your client’s getting the most out of their home inspections?    Check outwww.HomeFaxInspect.comand see how elseHome Fax™ Inspectionshelps you look good and your client’sKnow the Home Before You Buy™.    Looking for additional real estate information services in the mean time? Check outNationwide Home Fax™and learn other ways to make informed home buying decisions today!  ...read more