BUYERS ATTENDING INSPECTIONS, ETIQUETTE

Can a buyer Attend the Home Inspection.

Short Answer – Of Course

This is a big deal and a big day. Usually only surpassed by the closing and contract acceptance in magnitude. About half of people attend. This is largely due to out of state sight unseen buyers. If a buyer can attend they should.

Best Practice:
We have found that arriving about 1 hour after the inspection begins is just about right.

1. Dont be overly involved:

Seems like the opposite of #1 above but its not. When I inspect I have a routine. I have a ton of things I need to look at and a system (process) to get it done. If a buyer is asking me questions that’s fine. A buyer that says “What about this?” looking at part of the house I have not looked at yet too yet will break my routine. It can be challenging to go back to the exact spot and resume after a conversation on the other side of the house. Something may be missed

The buyer will get a better inspection if they don’t take the inspector off their routine.

Best Practice: 
Dont try to help (test things) as it may impact the result, damage something, or create a safety hazard

2. Dont bring the whole family and/or friends.

If an agent is not attending the home Inspector assume the liability for the home during the inspection. Some people (usually family members or friends) do not conduct themselves in a manner that is appropriate for being in someone else’s home. I have had to in the past ask folks to tone it down. It is wildly inappropriate and cannot happen ever.

Best Practice:
Immediate Family. There are situations where it may be a single young person buying a house and they want their “insert trusted persons name” there since he/she is more familiar with houses. Caution, please review #2 above. Some trusted people want to show how much they know and can be a distraction.

3. Arriving later than planned (early is fine). 

I am the first to admit we inspectors tend to arrive early but there is a reason. The 4-hour offset between appointments is for travel and unanticipated problems at the previous inspection. If we can get to the next job early and no one cares that we do (vacant, no attendees) then we will. Roughly Fifty Percent (50%) of the buyers that say they are coming simply don’t show up. The ones that actually arrive late amounts to less than 5%

Best Practice:
The buyer should arrive when they say they will (or sooner.) If the Inspector is early my crews will wait until the buyer was supposed to be there and a bit longer. If you were going to attend and decide not to, let the inspector know. They wont be upset I promise.

Its pretty simple. I think some inspectors forget why they are there and who the client is. Its the Buyer

Feel free to call with any questions.