What to Expect at Home Inspection

What to Expect at Home Inspection

Real Estate Articles: Inman News

Dear Barry,

We've never hired a home inspector and have questions about the protocol for an inspection. Some inspectors, we're told, prefer to work alone, and some agents, they say, discourage buyers from attending. Who typically attends a home inspection, and who decides who can attend? --Jill

Dear Jill,

The variables that affect home inspection attendance are numerous. The bottom line, however, is that buyers, in most cases, hire the inspector as their private consultant. In that light, the buyers should have the first and last word regarding their own attendance. But your questions address a broader range of attendance issues that also need answers.

There are home inspectors who prefer to work alone, but their exclusion of clients is highly unprofessional and should be reconsidered. They should abandon this solitary practice or find another line of work. A consultant cannot consult when no one is there to listen. And mailing a report after the inspection does not provide adequate explanation of inspection findings.

Attendance arrangements are usually handled by real estate agents, but circumstances often override their preferences. In some cases, buyers cannot attend because they live out of the area or are unable to get time off from work. In those instances, inspectors may be accompanied by one or both agents or may simply be left alone.

In most cases, buyers attend all or part of the inspection. This may occur with or without the sellers and agents present, or it may include an entourage of buyers, sellers, agents and contractors -- and possibly relatives and friends of all or some of the above.

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