Anger management - 03/30/09 09:25 PM
I inspected a house today that must have had a few stories to tell (if it could talk). Lots of holes in walls and doors. A lot of broken glass in the back patio (broken bottles and dishes).
But going into the kitchen stopped me in my tracks. The top of the cooktop was smashed to pieces. Now I have seen glass top cooktops that have had a tool dropped on them, and they pretty much just crack. As you can see from the photo, this one must have been smacked many, many times, with a lot of vigor.
The microwave … (16 comments)

My new toy, errr tool - 03/30/09 09:00 PM
I kept seeing these things at trade shows. I would even give it a try on the convention hall floor. Fun, yeah, Kind of pricy, yeah, maybe next time. For last last few years I have seen them and thought they were too much money, and no matter what they said, it wasn't going to work for me.
So last january I was in Orlando at the ASHI convention. Krawlgear had their booth set up, as usual. Since there was a low turn out, I had all the time in the world to talk to the vendors, and look at the … (18 comments)

That pesky "Oh Crap" moment - 03/29/09 08:40 AM
Last week something happened during an inspection that had never happened to me before. At first I thought it was a slight brain fade moment. A few seconds later, it was more of "wait a sec" moment. Then it turned into a full 'OH CRAP" moment.
During the course of inspecting a house, I flush the toilets, turn on sink faucets, run the tubs and active the shower diverters. It's just part of checking out the fixtures and the drains. It's a pretty common policy not to turn water valves such as main shut off valves and fixture shut off valves. … (9 comments)

If I get one more call like this - I may just scream - 03/24/09 08:34 PM
Got a call this afternoon. A woman told me she was given my name by a good friend, AND her Realtor to do a home inspection. I asked a few questions and gave her a price of $350. There was a long pause. She then told me her Realtor told her it would be about $150.
I told her that she must be mistaken because I didn't even charge $150 when I started in 1989. She got off the phone saying she would get back to me.
A little later I see an e-mail from her. She said that she had … (14 comments)

Someone needs to be fired - 03/22/09 08:34 AM
I was doing an inspection on a large house yesterday. My clients had told me the listing agent had tried to tell them the house had just been inspected for the seller and they didn't need one. A builder they had met gave them my name as a "good inspector". 
When I got to the house, I was told that a termite inspection had been done and some treatment completed last Tuesday (4 days ago). I had noticed a spot where an old mud tube had been scraped off, and signs of a few drillings in the slab.
The crawlspace in … (80 comments)

Finally, a reasonable client - 03/20/09 03:07 PM
When inspectors put on their "inspector's hat", we have to remain impartial and objective. We are not supposed to let our personal feelings get in the way, or try to lead the client one way or the other. Sometimes we really have to bite our tongues.
I have been on some inspections, and within ten minutes I knew that if it was daughter buying the house, I would drag her to the car. I have been on others when it wasn't until the end that it was obvious (to me anyway) that the buyers should walk.
I have been on some … (8 comments)

The call we all like to get - 03/20/09 11:26 AM
I got a call this morning from the seller of the house I inspected earlier this week. The call started with: "This is Mr. XXXXXX and you inspected my home this week". This is usually when I brace myself for the verbal assault and arguments that follow.
What followed caught me by surprise. He said he was very impressed with my report. He also said he was surprised by some of my findings because he takes pride in keeping up with problems and taking care of them promptly. As we talked he made the following comments many times: I would have … (9 comments)

Scary stuff this morning. - 03/19/09 05:42 PM
There was some really weird things going on in the house I was inspecting this morning. Lights were flickering. The bathroom light became brighter when I turned on the wall heater, the hall lights dimmed. When the heat pump kicked on, all the lights went bright for a second.
Inside the panel there were a few melted wires, but probably from a water heater fuse blowing.
I started to trace the ground wire and went into the crawlspace where it was connected to a water line. I could see the clamp was loose and as I went to get close to … (15 comments)

Stole a job last night - 03/14/09 06:24 AM
First of all, I have to say that I have had my fair share of jobs stolen from me because someone was only shopping for the lowest price.
Once it was $5. I know it was $5, because the client called me back and told me I could have the job if I would match the other guys price. In today's market, I might have taken the job and ate the $5.........WAIT! No, the answer would still be the same. He did not value my experience. I told him that if the other guy had the same level of experience, I … (8 comments)

UPDATE to "Don't bring Dad next time". - 03/07/09 09:21 AM
I recently wrote a blog about a Dad that just wore me out. Well, as the late, great Paul Harvey used to say, "Here's the rest of the story".
Got a call on Wednesday from Dad. I saw him on caller ID, and have to say I cringed. I really didn't have time to spend going over each item in the report. Should I let it go to voice mail? No, I'll just answer it.
The first thing he said when I answered was, "I want to thank you for doing such a great job for my kids. I did not … (3 comments)

New Construction - had been "pre-inspected" - 03/04/09 05:17 PM
I inspected a new home today. The sign outside proudly said it had been "pre-inspected".
I have to say that this is a pretty good builder. I really didn't have a bunch of stuff on my list, however, I think a couple of them are 'Inspection 101" kind of things. Here is some of the things I found...
1. The hot and cold was reversed at the master bathroom shower.
2. The sensors for the garage door were over 12" above the floor.
3. The pull down attic ladder not only didn't have enough fasteners, they were drywall screws. There was … (7 comments)

Please don't bring Dad next time - 03/03/09 07:03 AM
I did an inspection for a nice couple yesterday, it went very well. However, I was at the house almost two hours longer than I expected to be. The problem was Dad.
It seems Dad had called a few years ago when he was looking for a house. He spent a lot of time on the phone with my wife. He went to my web site. He called some references. He ended up, not buying a house, but he kept my contact information in his wallet (no kidding, he showed me the paper). So when his son and daughter in law … (11 comments)

We need a termite or pest inspector for our Knoxville BNI group - 03/01/09 12:18 PM
My BNI (Business network International) group meets on Wednesday mornings at 7:30 am in Turkey Creek. We would like to have a termite or pest control company join. 
There is a certain commitment required when joining the group, but the Giver's Gain moto of BNI really helps to build our businesses. If you own a pest control business, or know someone that does that could benefit from additional business, please contact me.
… (0 comments)

We need a home stager for our Knoxville BNI group - 03/01/09 12:13 PM
We would like to add a home stager to our Knoxville BNI group. We meet on Wednesday mornings at 7:30 am in Turkey Creek. If you are a home stager, or know one that could benefit from additional business referrals, please let me know.
There is a certain commitment that is needed, but the benefits can really pay off. Giver's Gain is the moto of BNI (Business network International). 
… (3 comments)

 

Jack Feldmann

Knoxville, TN

More about me…

Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.

Address: Knoxville, TN

Office Phone: (865) 693-7109

Email Me



Links

Archives

RSS 2.0 Feed for this blog