SuburbanHomeInspections
 St Paul / Mpls​

The Buyer

The buyer should attend the home inspection. It’s a fantastic learning experience, and it helps to see everything firsthand.  Should the buyer attend the entire inspection, or just the end? That’s a more challenging question to answer.
 

It’s completely understandable when buyers say they want to be present for the entire inspection, but buyers need to be aware of a couple of things.   First, your inspector will multi-task the entire time.  Distractions can lead to things going unnoticed, so it is best to limit communication until the inspection is complete.  Following the inspector around the house may sound like the best way to learn, but it inevitably results in a lower quality product.  Also, the inspector needs things like lights and plumbing to be on only at specific times, so it’s best to avoid operating things while you are there.
 

Family Members & The Buyer’s Agent

Most of the realtors we work with attend at least a portion of the inspection.  Some real estate agents don’t attend their buyers’ home inspections because they believe this might increase their liability. We believe it’s actually their conduct at the inspection that can put them at risk, not their presence. I’ve identified several different types of people below - and how their behavior can affect the quality of the inspection.  This applies to family members as well as realtors.

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• The Rookie
  These agents are new, and they haven’t sold a lot of houses. They learn a lot about the inspection process when they attend, and they use this information to help their current client and their future clients. These agents should definitely attend the review portion of the inspection.
   

• The Hand Holder
  These agents show up at the inspection because they’re working with first-time home buyers who are new the the buying experience. They introduce us to the client, and they tag along to provide moral support. They don’t get in the way, and their clients appreciate them being there. These agents have their clients’ needs in mind and should definitely attend.

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• The Professional
  These agents show up because they feel it’s their due diligence. They want to be informed about any significant issues that arise, and they want to understand the issues and see them firsthand. These agents have their clients’ needs in mind and should definitely attend.

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• The Annoyed Agent
  These agents act like they’re doing their client a favor by selling them a house, and they’re annoyed with their client. They moan and sigh every time we talk about something that needs attention. They want to write up an addendum to the purchase agreement and have the client sign it while we’re still at the property, before they’ve even seen the home inspection report. These agents should stay home.
   

• The Story Teller
  These people spend the entire time interrupting the inspector with stories of their own home, or homes of previous clients. While these stories may be interesting, this detracts time and attention from what really matters, which is your home. Remember, this is time you are paying for. If you have a family member like this, they should stay home.
   

• The Know-It-All
  These people have a background in construction, or they know a lot about houses, and they want to make sure everyone else knows it. They do more talking than we do at the inspection, and they downplay or disagree with items that we say need attention. When realtors behave like this, they are exposing themselves to significant liability. These agents / family members should stay home.

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The Seller

We request to have sellers out of the home during our inspections. When they refuse to do so, they often feel the need to show us around the home before we begin, which wastes valuable time. Our presence in the home tends to cause the sellers anxiety - and they will inevitably routinely ask how things are going, which also wastes time. We are not allowed to relay findings to the sellers anyway, so there really is no point for sellers to stay in the home.

Of course, it is their house and they have the right to do whatever they want… but if the goal is to sell the house, they would do well to find something to do outside of the house for half a day.
 

But never say never. For example, if a seller works from home and they can commit to staying out of the way in an office with closed doors, that’s cool. We’ll inspect their space at a time that’s convenient for them, and we’ll stay out of their hair. I’ve never had an issue with those folks.
 

The Seller’s Agent

The seller’s agent typically has no business attending the inspection; however, there may be extenuating circumstances that warrant their presence. For example, I’ve inspected several huge homes where the seller’s agent was present to let us in, and introduce themselves. In some cases, there are special instructions needed to operate complicated systems.

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But even in these cases, the Seller’s agent doesn’t stay for long, and they aren’t there to learn about what we’ve found. In fact, they would rather not know, because if anything goes wrong with the deal, they may have to disclose everything we told them to future buyers.
 

Everyone Else

Just about everyone else ought to stay home.  This isn’t the time for buyers to show the house to their friends and family. It’s not the right time to get bids on remodel projects from contractors. And it’s not a great environment for young kids. Of course, there will be times when this can't be avoided and we completely understand.
 

Again, I’d never say never to any of these people coming to the inspection. Still, with all things being equal, a home buyer will get the most out of their home inspection if they can give their undivided attention to the home inspector.