Realtor Top Criticisms of Home Inspection Companies – Part 3
#3.) Inspectors Don’t Put Things Back The Way They Found Them
There is a very simple fix for the third top criticism Realtors have of home inspectors. Leave it like you found it. If it was closed, close it when you are done. If it was locked, lock it when you leave. If it was on, leave it on when you leave. You get the idea.
When I was a boy scout leader, we had a motto, “Leave No Trace”. When we went camping, is was our belief that after we left, there should be no trace, no sign that we had ever been there. As a professional home inspector, I continue to keep this value and believe that all inspectors should as well. Except for perhaps a business card left on the kitchen counter, I work hard to make sure that everything is left the way I found it, including the HVAC thermostat.
As home inspectors, we inspect all kinds of homes. Some are vacant and many still have current owners living in them. When we disturb things in someones home, we should put them back the way we found them. Having a stranger go through your home and leave things out of place can leave a feeling of violation that “someone has been in my house”. Not a comfortable feeling for anyone.
Personally, I live on a small farm and have also enjoyed hunting and fishing on the properties of many others. There is always one important rule. If the gate is open, leave it open. If the gate is closed, leave it closed. Although the homes we inspect are not likely to let out any livestock, we may be guilty of letting someone’s dog or cat out. More to the point, it is important for professional home inspectors to leave people homes exactly as they were before we performed our inspection.
So, it is simple. Home Inspectors should “Leave No Trace”. Proof that an inspector was there should only be evident by the home inspection report and perhaps a business card left behind. This is an easy criticism of home inspectors that should be easy to overcome.
Remember, be professional and “Leave No Trace”.
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