Every once in a while I will be in an occupied home where I learn that the seller's agent told the buyer's to leave for 1.5 hours or 2 hours. This surprises me, because sometimes I will be in a home that is in really poor condition, or is very large. Recently I was in a home that was over 4000sf and the seller's came back after about 1hour and 45 minutes stating that their Realtor said "that is how long it would take". They essentially forced us to wrap things up so that they could get back into the home. I have had other experiences where the buyer's agent, who I didn't know, never asked me before hand how long the inspection would take and was used to the way that "their inspector did things" and after one hour they start tapping their feet...
So this got me thinking that I would touch on home inspection pricing and timing.
First, all home inspectors are different, so using a universal time and price for all of them is nonsensical.
There are inspectors who are older or larger and may take take longer naturally. That isn't a bad thing, it is what it is. Some inspectors do reports on site, and others do not. If the report is done on site it will obviously take longer. Some homes are larger than others. I am constantly finding Realtors who expect any home to take "two hours". People: if it is a one level, 1998 home that is vacant it is going to take less time than a 4000sf house that is likely 2-3 levels, may have 2 electrical panels, and may have two heating/cooling systems, not to mention the fact that they sometimes will have 2-3 attic spaces, etc. If the home is older it IS going to take longer to do. Is the client present? If so, that takes more time: the inspector will need to introduce himself, discuss what is going on during the inspection, have them sign the contract, etc. When the inspection is done the inspector will have to wrap things up, etc. And this doesn't even count communication during the inspection. If a client is present or not present this changes the timing of the inspection. There are so many factors that go into how long an inspection will take. Realtors and buyers should ask the inspector for a time estimate and should schedule their day accordingly.
So, what about pricing?
For a long time the only thing which inspectors used to dictate pricing was the square footage. I see our industry moving away from this, and we certainly have in the last few years. Here is the reality: a 3000sf house that is vacant and built in 2002 will take less time than a 1400sf house that is 90 years old and is in tough shape. As such, which should cost more? The 3000sf house, or the 1400sf house? It seems to me that most people simply expect that the larger home will cost more. Generally that is true. But how much more? This is where age and, sometimes, condition come into play for me as an inspector. I take age, location and square footage as my primary points for determining price (which is based on my idea of how long the inspection will take, etc.). I also ask what the condition is. Generally, I don't charge more for condition. But, if I know ahead of time that the home is for "cash purchasers only" or is a "fixer" or is "not fanciable" I am going to charge a bit more. Why? Because my time is dictated not just on square footage, but on how much I have to write down; how many pictures I have to take; how many notes I have to put into a report; how much information I need to communicate in writing and verbally to the client; how many questions I am likely to get; etc. If the home is 1000sf and in poor condition it is not uncommon for me to have a report that is 1/3 to twice as long as a report on a 3000sf house.
So, consumers and Realtors should ask their inspector for a time estimate for the inspection. Do not assume how long it is going to take, especially if you are not familiar with the inspector. Second, the industry should stop assuming that a smaller home will automatically cost less for the inspection. While that is generally true, it isn't always the case because older homes or homes that are fixer-uppers can take longer to inspect than larger homes that are relatively simple to inspect.
Just some random thoughts...
P.S. The largest house I have ever inspected was over 10,000sf. The longest report I have ever done was on a 750sf house: 103 pages long (most reports are around 30-40 pages). Does it really make sense to think that the time and price difference for an inspection will only be "square footage". I am telling you that it doesn't make any sense...
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