The nose knows, or why you should be at all of your inspections!
THE INSPECTORS INSPECTOR
So totally agree - about being at all inspections. My husband is my partner and has a background of building restaurants etc. - so he is invaluable to me in this business. Truthfully I am not the best when a widget is not fitting into a gidget - He however KNOWS them all. When we pitch listings it is one of our strong suits to say we WILL be at the inspection with the buyer and the buyers inspector. Partner is not intrusive and stays in the background but if things come up that are not sounding right he is there on the spot to understand the issue and many times challenge it. We are hired to DO a job...crazy that we do it...right!
Can't tell you how many times through the years things have come up both on a purchase or a listing that have been solved on the spot because the inspectors "inspector" understood the issue!
I have a great property inspector, he does a bang up job for my clients and I refer him to many other agents. He has the best equipment..and couple that all with ME, present at all inspections..we are a winning team! I know many agents who don't go to the property inspections for their clients, and have always wondered why they would miss the opportunity to provide insight for their current clients, and learn more from a pro for their future friends.
The other day we went out to a beautiful, newer short sale home. The minute I walked into the vacant property, I could smell something was off. We are a rural community, and this house is heated with propane. Mike informed me that I was crazy (not an uncommon comment), and went about continuing his work. I generally don't come to the inspection until about 1/2 hour prior to my clients, staying out of his way. I knew the smell..faint, but there. As I walked through the home, I used my super sensitive nose to smell likely culprits..laundry room for the dryer, furnace..stove. The smell was worst in the lower level, but still undetectable to Mike! He went out for his 'sniffer'..and checked the propane tank, which was empty.
Anyone familiar with propane knows that there is a horrible smell added to it to let people know when there is a leak, and that smell is at its worst when the tank is low or almost empty. The tank being empty, we knew we were pretty safe, not enough gas smell to be a big leak..just enough to find a loose fitting in the back of the gas fireplace in the family room.
Do inspectors normally 'sniff' all gas lines? No. Can two sets of eyes, an extra nose help your clients have a better inspection? Definetly! I have learned so much from inspections, seen some hilarious sights, and know that I serve my clients with a broader knowledge base than if I had not seen the homes through the eyes of my inspector..and the nose on my face!
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