While other inspectors are sitting at home or in the office, you could be on the road to earning more.
Probably the last thing that you want to do is a home inspection when it’s pouring down rain. But the Orange County Register in California proposes a different idea. Home inspections in the rain might be a great idea for home buyers, sellers and people who are fine where they are.
As a home inspector, this idea translates to more potential business and a broader swath for your marketing efforts.
Foul Weather Home Inspections are Great for Everybody
Regardless of whether a house is being sold or not, a home inspection during a rain shower is a good idea. For homeowners, an inspection can unearth leaks and other problems that stay hidden, such as attic leaks and wet basements. This lets your client focus on repairs that preserve the integrity of the home.
For sellers, the same applies but for a slightly different reason. Although buyers will have an inspection, a pre-sale inspection works as a heads up before the house hits the market. That way, repairs can be made as needed to help make the house more marketable. And then of course buyers really need an inspection to alert them to problems that might not show up when the weather is fine.
When the weather is dry, a walk through might not be as revealing as it should.
Why Inspecting in the Rain is a Good Idea
Roof leaks and flooded basements are only part of what you might find when you inspect a home during foul weather. Standing water in the yard might signal a clogged drain, says the Orange County Register. Gutters that don’t drain and water that stands around the foundation are more clues that the house needs some attention.
Leaks around a natural gas HVAC system or water heater could indicate a leaky vent pipe seal. Other places to watch for leaks are around doors and windows, where seals might fail. And while a flooded basement is clear and convincing evidence of something that’s amiss, whether it’s a bad grade around the foundation or something else, a damp basement might only reveal itself while it’s raining.
Your Marketing Efforts Might Reap Bigger Rewards
Most inspectors are always in search of new ways to grow their business. You can continue handing out business cards and networking with real estate agents to market for buyer home inspections. But focusing on whole communities could add a nice bump up in business. That’s especially true in areas where there’s not a tremendous amount of rainfall and leaks are tougher to find.
Marketing to a broader pool of potential clients makes you more valuable to the whole community where you work. The more you offer, the more people will need your home inspection services. And the more people who hire you for an inspection, the bigger your reputation as an industry leader will grow.
Bad weather might make you want to stay home and wish for better weather. There’s nothing especially fun about inspecting a house in the rain. But the added business might be more than fun; it might be downright profitable.
ICA School has a reputation for educating home inspectors in a convenient way. Learn at your own pace, and earn your certification as quickly or slowly as you like. Still on the fence? Get a free demo and see all of the ways that our program is not just different, it’s better. 
