You’ll find plenty of outdated 2-prong outlets and inoperable 3-way switches throughout your career as a certified home inspector. However, some wiring defects are cause for immediate concern and quick intervention. What merits an ASAP fix? Here are 5 electrical issues that shouldn’t wait. #1: Overlamping at Light Fixtures While not technically a wiring defect,…
Voice-activated smart home hubs have moved past the trendy stage and are settling into the mainstream. They can dim the lights, play your favorite song and order a pizza when you don’t feel like making dinner. Now that Amazon Echo’s Alexa is a familiar voice around the house, Google has thrown its hat into the…
Leads are the bread and butter of the home inspection industry, but they’re not always easy to find, and some sources can disappear quickly. Locating leads can be particularly difficult for inspectors who are just starting out in the home inspection business. Finding leads before they’re snagged by competitors means getting creative in your search.…
Closing day is the pinnacle of one of the most stressful events a home buyer can face. For weeks if not months, they’ve negotiated terms, provided documents, submitted to untold financial checks and weathered one surprise after another. As their certified home inspector, you have the power to make the final walk-through a little less…
Real estate agents have the potential to drive a lot of business to home inspectors. It’s a longstanding tradition to bring along goodies when inspectors visit agents, but there’s a fine line between goodies and an ethical and legal dilemma. How can you treat agents with kindness and avoid an unwitting RESPA snag? Here’s what…
Warm weather invites people to relax in a deck chair or a comfy old rocker. Unfortunately, some defects make a deck or front porch structure unsafe for walking, much less spending a relaxing few hours with a good book. Here are 5 home inspection warning signs that outdoor living spaces need some TLC. #1: Loose…
Attics are handy spaces. Too bad they’re often misused by the most well-meaning homeowners. In your career as a certified home inspector, you’re bound to find some interesting and downright dangerous home defects in a space that was never designed for living. Here are a few that are more common than they should be. Inferior,…
Whether you call it a water heater or use the colloquialism, “hot water heater,” these appliances need serious attention to match the serious work they do every day. Like many other workhorses in and around the home, most of them go unnoticed unless there’s a problem. Water heaters run on electricity or a combustible fuel,…
Most states have some level of professional responsibility regulation for the home inspection industry. Many states require licensing, but a few have no regulations of any kind. Colorado is among the unregulated states. In January, for the second time since 2015, legislation that would regulate home inspectors was introduced. In February, SB17-038 was shelved indefinitely.…
You’ll hear it time and time again: the home inspection killed the sale. The seller might not be thrilled to learn that the report contained defects, but the buyer is often grateful. Only one of those two people is your customer, so if the right one is happy you’re doing something right. Most Complaints…
