Do you want to get high with me?

Being a home inspector is great. It’s fun, it’s interesting and I get to meet wonderful people. I know exactly what to do during a home inspection. But what should the homebuyer do during the home inspection?

In my opinion, the homebuyer’s primary responsibility during a home inspection is to watch and listen. By observing the inspector’s routine, the home buyer will feel comfortable with the home and the inspection process. The inspector has the opportunity to present and discuss with the homebuyer all aspects of every component and system in the home. The goal is not to have problems looming after the inspection.

That said, active participation in a home inspection is always a good thing. I love to participate! How much participation and by whom is an often debated question. Depending on an individual’s role in the transaction (buyer, seller, agent, or other interested party), intentions, interest, and involvement vary widely.

A sure test of how committed someone is to the engagement process is to ask who would like to go up on the roof. Many of my home inspector friends cringe when I talk about homebuyers or agents climbing roofs with me. However, with good judgment and a few precautions, everything works out.

The fun begins when I ask, “Okay, who would like to get high with me?” If someone seems too excited, I get a little nervous that they must have misunderstood my question. But, after a moment, most recognize that it’s time for the roof inspection. There’s no better way to inspect a roof than to climb and walk! Every once in a while, a house has a balcony that allows us to jump over the railing and gracefully walk to the top. But most of the time, it’s up the ladder that we go.

The truth of it all is that less than 20% of homebuyers will venture up the ladder to walk on their roof. And of that group, about half wear inappropriate shoes or clothing to climb the ladder. Relatively small portions of those who choose to climb simply do not seem physically capable of making the ascent. If I don’t think it’s safe, they stay on the ground.

Sometimes people have objected to being told to stay on the ground. Some have even insisted that this is their inspection, they are paying me and they will escalate if they wish. Then they are told that it is my ladder and I decide who climbs it. They haven’t paid me yet for my services either. I simply and calmly explain to them that if they want to play the “I don’t pay” card, I can play my trump card, which is called “I’m not inspecting.” This is weird, but it returns us all to our proper places!

Walking on roofs is all well and good, but nothing separates the bold from the meek in the field of home inspection participation like the issue of crawling in tight spaces!

Florida is a wonderful place to live. Sunshine, beautiful beaches, and a lifestyle most of the rest of North America can only dream of. It is the pursuit of that good life that attracts millions of tourists each year, as well as tens of thousands of new residents. But some Floridians, those in the tight quarters, can strike fear into the hearts of the bravest!

Traveling the country to attend numerous home inspection events has given me a lot of education and perspective on the home inspection business. But whenever my peers find out that I live and survey in Florida, the topic always revolves around bugs and critters in confined spaces. With their eyes the size of grapefruits, I can keep them mesmerized with my many tales. Those would be possum tales, snake tales, and alligator tales!

The way these guys are captivated by the idea of ​​an inspector crawling on his belly under a house in Florida makes me feel like Marlin Perkins from the old TV show “Wild Kingdom.” I remember being around eight years old listening to Marlin narrate, “Jim will now fight the deadly 25-foot anaconda.” Then Jim, dressed in khaki shorts, shirt, and a pair of lace-up boots, would wade into the jungle swamp to risk life and limb while Marlin continued to film and narrate.

That Jim would have been a great home inspector! If he wasn’t afraid of anacondas, you can bet he wouldn’t be afraid of real estate agents!