As we navigate the events of our daily lives, the number of possible experiences that we can have are almost unlimited. This same rule applies when we perform a home inspection: there are an almost unlimited number of possible things that we could find when analyzing a home’s systems and components. Just as it’s hard to prepare ourselves for an unlimited number of possible daily experiences, being on the hook for an endless number of things in someone’s home is enough to push an inspector over the edge.
It’s impossible, unfortunately, for us to predict the future. (Our job would be so much easier -and so much more profitable- if we could!) This leaves us with the difficult task of figuring out the best possible way for us to do our job, while simultaneously limiting the liability presented by an unlimited number of possible problems.
While there are many things that go into attempting to solve a problem like this, it helps tremendously if we first define what it is we do as inspectors.
Exactly what are we trying to achieve while doing our job?
We could make a list of all the things we do, like checking the roof and appliances, but trying to itemize everything we do would take a really long time. Yes, we’re just checking the stove, but that “one” inspection item quickly devolves into dozens of smaller steps, all of which involve more questions. Gas or electric? Free-standing or slide-in? Plugged in or hard-wired? Anti-tip bracket installed? Do we know about any issues with this particular model? Are all the parts there? Are they installed correctly? Are any of them damaged? Do the burners all get hot? Does the control panel work? How about the lights? Does the oven work? What about the broiler? Do the door hinges work, or does the door fall open so quickly that it scrapes the skin off your shins? And on and on…
Since it would be impossible to list out every single thing we touch, examine, operate, and consider during an inspection, we should probably take a different approach when describing what it is we do.
If we were forced to condense our job down to just one sentence, most of us would agree that this one summarizes it up pretty well:
We are paid to provide our clients with information to help reduce the amount of uncertainty they’re experiencing regarding their home purchase.
Reducing our clients’ uncertainty is a wonderful thing, as it increases the possibility that we will achieve our goals: to provide our clients with enough information to make an informed purchase decision while, at the same time, successfully insulating ourselves from the negative implications of our client’s future problems. Undoubtedly, things are going to break in every home. If we’ve successfully prepared our customers for this eventuality, we’re much less likely to experience problems when things do break.
If a client is purchasing a house with a 21-year-old, four-ton air conditioning unit, the odds are that, in short order, they will be spending a considerable amount of money on that system. Knowing that the average life expectancy for an air condition is 10 to 12 years, the possibility of that house needing a new air condition in the near future is quite high. If we make them aware of this fact ahead of time, they can plan and/or negotiate accordingly. Even if they fail to take advantage of this information when buying the home, we still have something to point to in our report that protects us from frivolous future claims.
Our clients, like us, are faced with an unlimited number of possible experiences every single day, which drives uncertainty. Most people don’t like uncertainty. Not knowing what’s coming next is an unpleasant feeling. It’s our job to help reduce that annoying uncertainty by providing usable information. The more information we provide to our clients, the better chance they have of making a good decision regarding their home purchase.
And that’s what we’re here for, to provide information.
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Thanks, Joe
