If one doesn't manage the expectations of one's Clients, bad things sometimes happen.

Managing expectations is critical with home inspections because of when inspections occur. The best home inspection would occur when it was raining outside and when the property is vacant. Absent those conditions, though, we just have to do the best we can and manage those expectations.

I manage expectations by telling my Clients not only what I couldn't do because of furnishings and storage, but the possible ramifications of me not being able to do something. I then assuage their concerns by telling them that I am available to accompany them at their final walk-through when the property typically is vacant -- I charge for my time, though -- and that if they have any questions, problems, or concerns at any time in the future, I'm available 24/7 to HELP.

Early yesterday evening I had a Client call telling me that his house smelled like, well, "like an outhouse." I immediately knew that he had a plumbing problem, but I didn't know what kind. When I pulled up the March 2008 report and looked at the sink cabinet pictures, they all were like the following:

That's what I call "excessive furnishings and storage."

Water leaks in a sink cabinet like that are quite common, and I know that. However, I'm not a mover, and I don't know any movers who are home inspectors, so I'm not going to move everything out of that sink cabinet for my inspection and then replace it. Can you imagine the cost of my time to do that in a house that had, say, 6 bathrooms with four dual sinks and sink cabinets, and the kitchen?

So I have to put some clues together to give my Clients as much information as possible. Additional clues in this case came from the roof, which I did not walk on:

Not a single plumbing vent was visible on that brand new roof. With that clue, I told my Clients that since I had no plumbing problems at the time of the inspection, but I couldn't see behind all the storage in the sink cabinets, I was fairly certain that "air admittance valves" had been installed in the sink cabinets. What that meant to them -- managing their expectations -- was that if their house ever smelled like, well, "like an outhouse," those air admittance valves would be the culprit 95% of the time.

So when I went by their house late yesterday, guess what I found? Yep, air admittance valves, which look like this:

I told my Client to call a plumber and let me know what he found because I was pretty certain that it was the air admittance valve. My Client was quite happy that he called me first, that I had a "very good explanation," and that I was immediately available to HELP.

My Client called while I was at my inspection this morning and told me, "Russel, you were right. It was a bad valve."

It also helps not to block those valves with excessive furnishings and storage because, just like people, they need to breathe air in order to stay alive.

When you're knowledgeable, accessible, and helpful, good things happen.

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Russel's Top 25 blog entries.

1. ActiveRain success story -- ActiveRain Feature
2. All God's creatures great and small -- ActiveRain Feature
3. An open letter to Realtors -- ActiveRain Feature
4. Just because they sell it doesn't mean you should buy it -- ActiveRain Feature
5. 12 reasons why I won't comment on your blog entries -- ActiveRain Feature
6. What happens when two home inspectors show up at the same time at the same property -- ActiveRain Feature
7. ActiveRain tags are very powerful. Here's how to use them effectively
8. Cracks on our properties and in our homes -- seven lessons
9. Did you take a shower today?
10. Go for the GOLD: How to use your time wisely
11. Hey! We have fall colors in San Diego
12. How my Clients got $17,800 from the bank on an "as-is" foreclosure
13. How sellers can prepare for a buyer's home inspection
14. How to trip, fall, and break an arm more efficiently
15. I purposefully burned a bridge yesterday
16. Is your dishwasher dish washing?
17. Out of sight, out of mind, skip the work, charge for it
18. The Client is always right, right?
19. We're three strange men. May we babysit your children?
20. What are you thinking? Yes, you! (electrical extension cords)
21. What are you thinking? Yes, you! (sink cabinets and chemical storage)
22. What part of that don't you understand? (Reading 101, English 101, & Spanish 101)
23. Which trees cause the most damage to our properties? -- five lessons
24. Would a foreclosed seller purposefully leave an explosive device behind?
25. Would you like what's behind Curtain #1, Curtain #2, or Curtain #3?