If you’d been in the home inspection business a while, it’s probably happened to you. It can go wrong several ways. The appointment is for Tuesday at 9:00 AM at 26 Birch Ave. You show up on site, and there’s no one there. You wait around, knock on the door, start to look around the outside and begin to wonder. You realize something isn’t right.

Your cell phone rings and it’s the real estate agent, hopping mad. Turns out you’ve got the address wrong and they are all the way across town. The agent and the client are waiting, along with the seller of the home who has booked off work to be there.

That’s bad enough, but this one is even worse: You’ve just started an inspection with a client and agent at 26 Birch Ave., and another client calls, expecting you to be at a different address at exactly the time! What do you do? Did you double book? Did they make a mistake? It doesn’t really matter, it’s bad news either way.

These are no-win situations, the kind you want to avoid. We have been there, done that, and never want to do it again. That’s why we use confirmation e-mails, sent to the client and agent once an inspection is booked. The date, time and address of the inspection are all documented automatically so there is no confusion. You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.

With our Horizon home inspection report writing software, e-mail is generated automatically, so there’s no need for double entry, and no room to make a transcription error. The appropriate inspector also gets a copy of the confirmation e-mail automatically.

You show up at the inspection on time and ready to go. The client and agent are there and you go through your introductory remarks. Straight to work with the attentive client, and happily the owner is not there. A great situation! You get through the home, summarize for the client and provide a report summary.

You collect your payment, thank the agent and client, and you’re ready to be on your way. It’s then that the agent says, “Do you remember being at this house 18 months ago?” Your heart sinks. What did you say the first time you were there? Is the old report around? What happens if they compare the two reports? Why didn’t you remember the house?

If you’ve lived through this, you know embarrassing may just be the beginning. If your reports do not track, your credibility may be hurt, and your liability may be significant. At Carson Dunlop, we worry about this and that’s why we built a tool into our Horizon home inspection report writing software that gives us a heads up when booking an inspection if we inspected the house before. Not only that, we are only one click away from the previous work order and one more click away from the previous report. We can always see what we said before. A valuable tool? Absolutely. In some cases it’s a real lifesaver.

Canada’s first licensing law for home inspectors was passed in January 2009. By March 31, all home inspectors will have to meet the requirements of the National Certification Program for Home and Property Inspectors www.nca-anc.com, requirements of CAHPI-BC, (Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors - British Columbia) www.cahpi.bc.ca, or the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of British Columbia (ASTTBC) www.asttbc.org. All home inspectors will have to carry Errors and Omissions insurance and General Liability insurance. There will be a $100 licensing fee, and home inspectors will have to carry an identification card. There will also be a criminal record check.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that real estate agents will not be allowed to recommend home inspectors. Instead they will send consumers to the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority, a non-government, not-for-profit organization. (www.bpcpa.ca) This authority will also handle consumer complaints related to home inspection.

Those who are not a member of any of these organizations may have their credentials assessed by the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority at a cost of $250. This option is only available until March 31, 2009, and those who are approved will have to become members of one of the three organizations within two years.

No license is required for commercial property inspections. For more information from the Authority, click here.

Mid-efficiency furnaces are being phased out in Ontario. After 2009, these will no longer be available. While high-efficiency systems are great, they can be difficult to install in some homes, due to venting requirements.  Mid-efficiency furnaces are less complex and less expensive than high-efficiency furnaces. Replacement of an older conventional or mid-efficiency furnace in 2009 with a new mid-efficiency may make sense for many homeowners.

Here’s an interesting perspective on a good home inspector from a financial guy.
http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=995130

There are some points to take from this:

1. Tools may be useful, but experience is irreplaceable.
2. If you don’t feel the need to impress, that’s impressive.
3. If you communicate with clients like you care, they notice and appreciate.
4. Simple comprehensible language is the only language we should speak.
5. Knowing your limitations is impressive itself.

We like to write great reports, and we like to do it quickly. We use a two-step strategy with Horizon Laptop. Let me show you with the inspection for 18 Maple Lane.

We start with Descriptions and Limitations. We select a Template that best matches the house. You can build as many Templates as you want on the web. You can have Templates for whole houses and/or different Templates for each system. It takes just a few minutes to build each Template.

In this case it is a post-1980 house. Applying the template takes less than 10 seconds. We’ve applied 60 items here, covering the Description and Limitations Items that help us satisfy the Standards – Foundation type, electrical service and wire details, how we inspected the roof, etc.

When we are finished, we should proofread the report to make sure we did not apply something inappropriate. You can use either Report so Far or Preview to proofread.

Some things don’t fit into Templates – like the age and capacity of the furnace. But we don’t want to forget them. That’s why we use Required Items. You set up which items are required once on the web. Then they’re available in every report. Required Items shows key headings that still need an entry.

We use the Quick View/Edit tool to move through Required Items. Let’s click on the icon to the left of the first item. We get the selections for that heading! We can make our entry here. We built this for speed, so when you make your entry, it goes on to the next screen.

Don’t want to make an entry? Just hit the Next arrow. Want to make a second entry? Just hit the Back arrow. (On the pop-up or on your keyboard!)

If you don’t want to go to the next screen when you make an entry, turn off Auto-advance to next screen. This helps if you want to make multiple entries in one heading.

Recommendations

Now that Descriptions and Limitations are done, let’s look at Recommendations. Here’s a shortcut. I take photos instead of writing notes to capture most things I want to report. Whether it’s the data plate from a furnace or air conditioner or a defect, it’s at my fingertips. Taking a picture takes about as long as writing a note. (I still use notes for water hammer and other things I can’t photograph.) Cameras have become good, compact and inexpensive, and memory is very cheap. With Horizon, uploading the photos is fast and easy. And the photos are always at my fingertips!

I use the photos to guide my recommendations. First I load the photos. Just click Photos on any report writing screen.

I usually select the folder, although I can load individual photos as well. When I click Load Photos, Horizon takes me straight to the right folder in my computer. (Horizon learns fast!) Another little timesaver!

Horizon resizes and loads the photos in the order they were taken. I can look at large or small previews. I can delete any I don’t want. They’ll still be on my computer.

When I’m writing reports, I can see my photos anytime by mousing over the Photos button!

The first photo is a heat lamp poorly positioned over a bathroom door. That will be my first recommendation. I can’t remember whether this is in Electrical or Interior, so I’ll use Find. I type in heat lamp and hit Go. Find looks thru all Recommendations when I am in the Recommendations section, etc. I can click on the result that fits. In this case, there is only one.

When I click the link, I go to the right place. The heading is highlighted and the item is bolded for me!

I click on Heat lamps and I can select the Location, Task, Time and Cost range if I want. Any heading you ignore won’t show up in your report. You can see what I selected:

I can also click to add this to the Bottom Line summary.
If I’m done, I click Save and Close. To add a photo or a note, I click Next. Here’s what it looks like.

I can add edits in a flash. Click on the photo and add your edits. Save and Close the edit tool. Select this photo and add your caption. Then Save and Close the Notes screen.

The next photo guides me to my next recommendation. And so on. I follow my photos like they are field notes. That way I don’t miss any recommendations and I add my photos where I want them as I am going. And I can always click on Photos on any Reporting screen to see all the photos.

So writing reports using this strategy is a two-step process. I use Templates to create the Descriptions and Limitations. I use the photos to guide me on Recommendations. Great reports – done quickly and easily.

Thanks for joining me.
Alan Carson.

Based on recent conversations with some inspectors, I fear there is a problem that may be hurting your business by creating unhappy customers, while increasing your liability.

Virtually all report writing systems have a bunch of standard items. They are easy to use. Most inspectors have some guidelines for report writing – e.g. I report defective electrical outlets as being in various locations, rather than naming two locations and missing several I did not test. These guidelines are often not written down; it’s just what you do every time you see a situation. It’s why you get more comfortable with experience: you have seen it before and thought through how to handle it already.

Here is what I believe:

1. You are not constrained by the items in your report writing tool.
2. You are not bound by any guideline you follow, whether written down or not.
3. You are bound by good professional judgement. Change, remove or replace an item if does not fit the situation. If there is nothing in your database that describes the situation adequately, add something.
4. I am seeing inspectors who are unwilling to customize reports to describe what is there. Is it fear of making a mistake? Is it laziness? I don’t know. But I believe it is hurting those who do it.
5. Deviate when common sense dictates – e.g. if you are in a large home with a large fee and there is very little wrong, and the client asks you to record where you found the electrical outlet problems, by all means do it, even if you have to add something to your report. Also, report that there may be others since you could not test them all. Good customer service – no liability increase. Win-win.

There are lots of guidelines to help you follow the only rule – “Do the right thing – for your customer and for you.” It may take a little longer, but it will help you and your business.”

Our report writing goals are quality and speed, in that order. Horizon is like lots of tools. You can use it in a primitive way to get the job done, or you can use it elegantly and do a better job. Here are some ways to use Horizon Laptop to save time writing great reports.

Descriptions and Limitations

This is the boring stuff. We include descriptions to meet the standards, and limitations to manage our liability. You can use Required Items or Templates to get these done. Let’s start with Required Items.

Set up your Required Items on the Web. They are easy to set up and easy to change. Include all the items that you need to meet the standards. Here’s our list:

1. Describe the methods used to inspect under-floor crawl spaces and attics (You might do this in Limitations.)
2. Describe the foundation
3. Describe the floor structure
4. Describe the wall structure
5. Describe the ceiling structure
6. Describe the roof structure
7. Describe the cladding/siding
8. Describe the roofing materials
9. Describe the methods used to inspect the roofing (You might do this in Limitations.)
10. Describe water supply, drain, waste, and vent piping materials
11. Describe the water heating equipment including energy source(s)
12. Describe the location of main water and fuel shut-off valves
13. Describe the amperage and voltage rating of the service
14. Describe the location of main disconnect(s) and sub panels
15. Describe the presence of solid conductor aluminum branch circuit wiring
16. Describe the presence or absence of smoke detectors
17. Describe the wiring methods
18. Describe the heating system
19. Describe the energy source for the heating system
20. Describe the cooling system
21. Describe the energy source for the cooling system
22. Describe the insulation and vapor retarders in unfinished spaces
23. Describe the absence of insulation in unfinished spaces at conditioned surfaces
24. Describe fireplaces and solid fuel burning appliances
25. Describe chimneys

To start writing your report, click on Required Items. Then click on the Quick Edit tool (see below).

The Quick Edit Tool

The items for the first Required Item will pop up. Select the item you want and Horizon will move you to the next heading. You can complete all of your Descriptions and Limitations very quickly. Use the Back and Next arrows to move forward or back.

Using the Quick Edit Tool

Templates are another option. Set up templates for different homes in Profile on the Web side. You might have templates for new homes, 1980s homes, 1960s homes, 1930s homes, century homes, ranch bungalows in a certain part of town, intercity rowhouses, etc.

Once your templates are set up, they will be carried down to Horizon Laptop the next time you sync. To complete your Descriptions and Limitations for any report, simply click on the applicable template. It will make all of these entries for you. Use the Report so far tool to make sure that these say exactly what you want to say.

Recommendations

Recommendations are the meaningful part of the report. If you use photos, you can use the photos to guide your work in adding recommendations. Some inspectors actually use their camera instead of a notepad or clipboard. You can take a photo of anything you want to comment on. Photos are faster to take and are more accurate than written notes. You can take photos of equipment data plates too.

When you start writing reports, upload the photos into the first recommendation you make. Uploading photos is fast and easy – from the Notes screen just click Load photos. You can load a folder or just one file. Horizon goes to the same folder on your computer every time to find the photos, and uploads them in the order you took them. You can select small or large previews. You can select any bad photos and delete them as a group, fast.

Use the photos to guide you to the next recommendation you want to make. If the first photo is a rusted metal chimney go to the Chimney recommendations. Make the Chimney Recommendation, and add the photo. You can easily add edits and a caption if you want. Before you close the photo area, note what the next photo is. That will be your next recommendation. Make that recommendation, add the photo, and move on to the next, and so on.

Any photos you don’t use in your report are kept on file for your records.

Summary

Use Required Items or Templates to enter Descriptions and Limitations. Use photos to enter Recommendations. It’s fast, it’s easy and it makes for great reports!

A controversial topic is whether you should point out positive features of a home.  On the one hand, you might argue that the role of a home inspector is to describe the condition of the home, and if the home is in really good condition you should tell the client that.  On the other hand, people worry that you are selling the home and trying to appease a real estate agent if you say anything positive.

I land on the side of telling people about good functional components of the house.  I don’t suggest commenting on cosmetics, but if the house has new high-quality shingles installed well, I think that’s relevant.  If the house has a high-efficiency furnace instead of a regular furnace, I think we should let the client know that.  If the air-conditioning system has a scroll compressor, a very high SEER, a filter/dryer, a thermostatic expansion valve or any other high quality options, it speaks to a quality installation, and I think the client should be told.  While we probably don’t need to point it out to most homeowners, I would suggest that a granite countertop is much more functional than a laminate surface.

If the diameter of the water service entry type on the plumbing system is one inch diameter, instead of the typical half inch or three-quarter inch pipe, that’s noteworthy in my opinion.  That one inch diameter service pipe will deliver better water flow and pressure.  If the water heater is 20 gallons larger than I would typically find in a house that size, I let the client know.  I have said that we should report vulnerable conditions, even if nothing has failed yet.  To me, this is the other side of the issue.  If things are better than normal, or what would be expected, this is part of describing the condition of the home.  We have never had an objection from a client for pointing out these things.  The objections are more likely to come from other home inspectors.

I should be clear that I do not condone misrepresenting the home or making up positive features.  If none exist, say nothing.

This is an optional thing that a lot of home inspectors include in their reports.  Life expectancies are often projected for heating and cooling systems, water heaters and roofs.  There are couple of ways to do this.  You can indicate how many years of life you think remain.  You might be wise to give a range if you do this. 

You can also indicate the age of the system (you can narrow it down quite nicely on mechanical equipment) and the typical life expectancy.  For example, you might say the furnace is 12 years old, and this type of furnace has a typical life expectancy of 15 to 20 years.  I leave it at that. You don’t have to do the math and tell the client how much life likely remains.  You might be wise to indicate that premature failures do occur from time to time.  It’s kind of like predicting when a light bulb will burn out.

By the way, if you have trouble identifying each piece of mechanical equipment, our book called Technical Reference Guide is pretty useful.  You can get it by calling 800-268-7070.

I prefer the second approach, for mechanical equipment at least.  It’s more difficult to know the specific age of an asphalt roof, for example.  There are lots of variables that affect the life expectancy of roofs.  If the roof is relatively new, that is a good thing most homebuyers would like to know.  We will often say the roof appears to be in the first third of its life.  If the normal roof life expectancy is 15 years, that might mean the roof is less than five years old.  If the roof is neither new nor old, we might describe it as being in the middle third of its life.  If it is showing its age, we might say the last third.  If it’s quite worn, we will say replacement is recommended either immediately or within the next year.

This is all part of helping the home buyer understand and feel the same way about the house as you do.