Energy-Efficient and Healthy Living
"The Short Truth" about my Profession
If there's anything I enjoy more than inspecting homes, it's probably writing about it. So let me try to lay out the short truth about my profession. Home Inspectors are generally dreaded visitors. Sellers, Buyers and their agents alike are not looking forward to see them - Inspectors only find problems. But that's their job, of course. Good inspectors will always find a problem. Additional (and avoidable) problems, however, may result from what they often don't do:So when I go out to inspect a home, I want to make sure that I live up to my own high expectations, finding only those problems that exist without creating new ones. To do this, I:
- 1. They don't go through the trouble of looking at things properly (close-up views that require physical effort).
- 2. They don't have a combination of hands-on construction experience and professional training.
- 3. They don't use available high-tech tools (to identify, investigate and document problems).
- 4. They don't spend enough time talking to their clients (putting the issues in perspective).
Having personally inspected nearly 1,500 homes since 1999, I can assure you, inspecting a home adequately requires a down-and-dirty approach next to a knowledgeable, well-equipped and personal approach.
- 1. work hard
- 2. have experience and training
- 3. use high-tech equipment
- 4. be personal
1. Hard work
1.1. As an inspector you've got to squeeze into the attic space, no matter how hot it is. In some attics here in Central Texas I have measured 150 degrees.
1.2. You've got to crawl under the house, no matter how dirty it is. I've encountered dead snakes, cats and dogs and fascinating termite stalagmites, where the termite are tunneling into thin air to get to the rotted floor joists (termites can smell the methane gas being released by the rotting lumber).
1.3. Then, you've got to climb onto the roof. I have a 2-story ladder on my truck and unless it's raining, I pretty much can walk any roof. I have repaired roofs for many years so I feel comfortable doing it.
2. Experience & Training
2.1. Before I got into the inspection business, I had worked for several years as a construction worker. That taught me first-hand how homes are being built: they are often planned by large, profit-maximizing corporations which make short-term profit decisions that may hurt home-owners in the long run; they are ultimately built by low-wage laborers who don't always pay particular attention to important details and/or lack adequate instruction/supervision; they are sometimes designed by inexperienced or overly ambitious architects who overlook important design-factors, whether knowingly or not. This insight, along with the hands-on experience, has helped me a lot in the inspection business.
2.2. International 1 & 2 Family Dwelling Code. To become licensed as a 1&2 Family Dwelling Code Inspector you have to know all the Building Codes, Mechanical Codes, Electrical Codes and Plumbing Codes applicable to new construction in Texas. I'm licensed in all of these Codes.
2.3. Why is knowledge of these Codes important?
Mostly for safety issues: guardrails must be installed and high enough, electrical outlets must be protected from ground faults or arching, gas furnaces must not cause carbon monoxide poisoning, water heaters must not explode in the garage and smoke detectors must work. Those are just basics. As a home-owner you want to be informed about these codes EVEN though they may not have existed when the house you want to buy was built. Our lifestyles change and with them, in most cases, should our homes.
2.4. I'm also a licensed termite inspector and home energy rater. Termites can do a lot of damage; energy efficiency in Central Texas can save home-owners money in monthly utility bills. My reports include many helpful tips for the home owner to save energy.
3. High-tech Equipment
3.1. A digital camera allows me to take a picture of something in need of repair on the 2-story roof or in the hot attic. Past clients loved this service! Imagine I have to tell you that the roof shingles are torn up from tree limbs that had grown too close to the roof and you can't actually see this damage yourself! Now, with that photo you no longer have to worry and picture a collapsed roof structure rather than seeing what is really going on. And you can also show the photo to the person that is going to repair the damage.
3.2. I also use a digital voice recorder during my inspections. I couldn't do without this tool any more. It allows me to keep my hands free at all times. I don't have to carry a bulky clipboard around that slows me down and won't allow me to touch things. Back in the office, I simply plug it into my computer and voice-recognition software that I have personally developed and refined over the last 4 years will transcribe the recordings. This saves so much time that I can provide a better service at a lesser cost than most competitors.
3.3. The report is available online the day of the inspection. Instead of a faxed report that is hard to read, your client only needs internet access to download a report that includes: photos, color-coded text and many energy-efficiency tips.
3.4. I use a moisture meter to detect active plumbing or roof leaks, an infrared thermometer to measure temperatures in just seconds, and some conventional tools like pressure gauges, circuit analyzers, screwdrivers etc.
4. Personal Approach
4.1. I will sit down with you for about 15 to 30 minutes or as long as it takes, in order to communicate effectively what I have learned about the structure during my approximately 2-hour inspection.
4.2. First I try to find out a little bit more about you. Are you moving here from another state, do you have or plan to have toddlers? These questions usually allow me to start talking about something other than the home itself. Some of you, in my experience, are really anxious to hear what's wrong with the house and I want to relax you first, sort of easing you into this generally unfamiliar territory.
4.3. Then, still before I tell you anything about the home, I try to find out what your primary concerns are. That will tell me a lot about your expectations and needs.
4.4. So only now that I know a little bit better who you are and what you need or want, I have the chance to choose my words in order to best relate to you. I can prioritize the issues somewhat during this oral report - which generally means, I will talk more at length about issues that you have already mentioned or that are relevant to you in particular.
4.5. Last, I prepare you for the written report which you'll receive by email the same day of the inspection. I'll tell you what to expect. I usually explain that the report identifies in detail what needs to be repaired; however, the report will not tell you in what order these repairs need to be done or who (the seller or the buyer of the home) has to do the repairs. Your Realtor is or should be the best resource available to you from that point on. I will be more than happy to stay available to answer any specific questions regarding your written report in the future.
I hope this brief overview of the service I am offering was helpful to you. Feel free to call on me any time & best of luck with buying/selling or maintaining you home.
Roland Huettel