To many people, being able to do home inspections seems like a dream job (at least, that’s what I keep telling myself..) The reality of working as an inspector is that we’re faced with an almost impossible task. We’re not like an HVAC technician, that’s simply looking at the AC to see what needs to be repaired. We’re not like the plumber, who is there to unclog a drain line, and we’re not a roofer, walking around looking for a reason to sell someone a new roof. We’re going a whole lot deeper.
We don’t have the luxury of looking at one specific item when we’re trying to assess something. We’re having to consider a ridiculous amount of information with every step. Quite often, we’re trying to come to consensus regarding the importance of an issue, while working through a tremendous amount of data, some of it obvious, some of it mysterious.
When inspecting an item in a home, it’s almost ridiculous how much is expected of us. We have to consider what the current standards are, while keeping in mind what they were when the house was built. We need to account for today’s materials, while being mindful of what materials were used at the time the house was constructed. We need to allow for the way contractors operated then compared to how they work today. In what ways is our client different from the people whoever designed this particular house? We need to try to figure out what the manufacturer’s instructions said about this equipment, its installation, and required maintenance when it was installed, which in many cases is difficult if not impossible to achieve during the limited time available to do a home inspection. Then, often without having access to these guiding documents, we must try to determine if the builder, homeowners, and service techs all did exactly what they were supposed to do, every time they touched that item. And to make things even better, many of our clients expect us to look into the future and tell them exactly what they’ll be faced with each piece of equipment.
There are an impossible number of things for us to consider when we look at each system and component of a home. When we think about it that way, it’s surprising that anyone in their right mind would want to do this for a living. What could possibly drive someone to put themselves through such an ordeal? There are plenty of other jobs where things are much more simple, with a lot less gray area to struggle through.
What are inspectors thinking? What drives us to do such a difficult job?
For many inspectors, the difficulty is the challenge. Some people thrive on being under the gun, and enjoy the fact that they are the ones responsible for explaining things to the buyers. It’s no surprise to discover that there’s a lot riding on what we say (or don’t say.) Our job comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility, as we’re advising people on the biggest financial decision most of them will ever make. They’re putting their faith in us, and the rush that experience brings certainly serve an a big motivator for many inspectors.
Other inspectors enjoy helping people. Home buyers are in an incredibly vulnerable position, as they are trying to figure out if they should make a significant investment in a property that they really know little or nothing about. It’s likely that most of them spent more time researching their last vehicle than they did looking around the house they’re planning on buying. Our job is to provide them with enough information to make an informed decision about how they should proceed. We’re helping them make an important decision, and quite frankly, it’s a good feeling when we discover something that no one else considered. Whether it’s delivering good news or bad, home inspectors are there for one reason: to help our clients.
Other inspectors revel in the challenge of having to know so much stuff. We don’t have to know the head pressure required on a 4-ton Rheem AC from 2019, but we do need to know how a refrigeration system works, how it’s connected, where it can be installed, and the most likely problems encountered in residential applications. It’s crazy to think that we need to have a working knowledge of almost every item found in the average house. The amount of information required to do this job can be unsettling for new inspectors, but it’s important to remember that no matter how much we know, we’ll never know everything there is to know about a house.
No matter what drives us to be a home inspection professional, be it the thrill of occupying the hot seat, the joy of helping our clients, or the challenge of learning so much information (or more likely, some combination of the three), the fact is that this really is a dream job. Decent hours, decent pay, relatively little difficulty, and we all get to work with our favorite person (ourselves!)
It’s easy to see why so many of us are drawn to an inspection career. There are a lot of things to like about it, but we should never forget the impossible task that faces us every time we walk into someone’s home.
Being an inspector really is an impossible job. Good thing it’s fun…
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Thanks, Joe
