I am the buyer, and I will be present at my inspection coming up next week.
I know to keep out of the way of the inspector while he's doing his work, and then sync up with him at the end where he does his stuff with me.

I'd like some suggestions on things I should inspect while he is there. What are some things that are not part of the inspection that would be worth checking personally? Or things that are worth double-checking?

If I have a long enough list, perhaps I'll come early or stay late to complete my inspection.

Little minor things typically are not part of the inspection although I do include them with my inspections.

Such little minor things include small holes in screen windows and screen doors, holes in walls from doorknobs, etc. To create a list of such minor things would be a time-consuming task.

There are some books at your local book store on home inspections. I would suggest checking them out.

The inspectors that I refer don't mind if the buyer stays with them. After all the inspector is working for you. The good inspectors will show you where filters and shutoffs are and some even put tags on them so you can remember where they are. On issues that come up it is easier to see them live than go over them on paper. Ask permission from the inspector to tag along, you could learn a lot.

That's one way to do it. In fact, all of our HomeTeam franchises show our Clients where the filters and shutoffs are and put tags on them.

Another way, however, is to do a verbal wrap-up at the end of the inspection, which is my personal preference. I believe it saves time for everyone because the information only has to be discussed once. I think every time I've had a Client "tag along," I wind up going over things with the Client as he tags along and then again at the end of the inspection when the Realtor wants to know what we've found. So I like to gather everyone in a group (Class? Gather 'round.) and go over everything at the same time with everyone.

When one is trying to do so much stuff (plumbing, electricity, structural, termites, etc.) in a relatively short time, that intense focus by the inspector on his job really will provide the Client with the best inspection.

However, we must always remember that the Client is right. On the other hand, though, we as home inspectors must manage our Clients' expectations. To do that, I bring candy and snacks for adults and children; coloring books and crayons for children; extra tape measures, digital cameras, pens, pencils, and paper for the buyers; a computer running a copy of our Interactive Report System report; and a picture show of some of the more interesting problems we've found over the years. I also explain up front exactly what I am going to do and what I believe is the best way to do a good, thorough job for them. When they hear "good, thorough job," they are all ears and only too eager to help me help them.

Another good idea is to do a neighborhood introduction of yourself to your surrounding neighbors. Ask the all the questions you could think of:
Crime around the area? past / Present
How long have they lived at there residence?
How was the owner of the home you are going to purchase?
You will be amazed at what neighbors tell you.

Just a thought. Good luck

Jason

I prefer to have my client tag along as we go thru the inspection. We discuss issues as we find them and are standing (or laying) right in front of them. Client gets a much better understanding of the issue and doesn't get scared off unneccessarily.

I always try to find a neighbor in the yard that I can break the ice with so the buyer can chat with them about the neighborhood.

I did tag along with my inspector, had a great time, and learned an awful lot. The scheduled 3 hours became 5 because I asked lots of questions.

The last inspector I used requested that I only show up for the last hour... not during the inspection. I won't be doing that again.

He actually requested that you show up for just the last hour? How odd.

I occasionally have a Client ask me if they can just show up at the end because they have something else to do, but I always encourage them to be present for the complete inspection.

You might want to call the city building inspector and ask a few questions. They could tell you about the past history of the house, like add-ons and if there were proper permits when building certain features.

If you want to check out things the inspector may not go ahead but don't take anything apart. Keep out of the inspectors way: who told you that. I expect my buyer to be right there with the inspector asking questions when they come to mind (even, can I change this wall kind of questions). Good inspectors are find with this. Not only is my buyer there I am there following the inspector around. If I see something I think the buyer might not understand I'll ask the inspector to explain it. The inspection is the opportunity for the buyer to 1) learn about the house for future maintenance and 2) learn its current condition.

By the way on a single home 2 story 3BR 2.5 baths and garage and basement..you should be there 3 to 4 hours. Maybe a little less it the house is relatively new or more if it is a fixer upper.

Do keep in mind, though, that the inspector is there to, first and foremost, document the condition of the property. Too many interruptions and questions could cause him to lose his focus, possibly missing something or misstating something.

Although I'm fine with most interruptions and questions, even I can get frustrated when there are too many questions. If it gets to that point, I'll ask my Clients to write their questions on a piece of paper and save them until the end. That allows me to focus intensely on the job I am doing for them. Once I've documented the condition of the property, then they are free to ask as many questions as they want, ask for a tour of the property or to see items I have talked about, ask for helpful advice on removing walls, landscaping, renovating, whatever.

Also, it might not be necessary to be there for 3-4 hours, give or take. One should really say that the inspection will take 3-4 "work hours," similar to how we used to use the terms "man hours" and "person hours" many decades ago. I think about 25% of home inspection companies are multi-inspector firms, so having two inspectors document the condition of a property would only require one to be there for 1½-2 "time hours" that still encompassed 3-4 "work hours." I once took 7 inspectors to a 15,000-SF property, and we finished in 2 hours and 45 minutes. However, that was still 19¼ "work hours," but can you imagine an actual inspection taking 19¼ hours. That would require 2-3 days and really tick off many Realtors while possibly also boring the buyers to death.

I've found that it takes one of my inspectors about 1¼ hours for every 1,000 SF, on average. New homes take about 1 hours, scrapers take about 2 hours. That also depends on what type of inspection my Clients have ordered since I'm one of the few inspections nationwide who offer different Inspection types to meet different Client needs under different circumstances. I actully have 12 different property inspection types, but I'll encourage property investors who are going to "gut and renovate" to order my BASIC inspection, while my STANDARD inspection is good for all properties.

All the home inspectors my Buyers work with love to have their clients with them at every step, so when they find something they use it as a teaching moment.

The Inspectors I have dealt with prefer the buyer to be there. Its easier to explain an issue then as opposed to later. I have never dealt with an inspector to busy to answer the clients questions.

I think 99.9% of home inspectors want the buyer to be there because this is a very litigious industry. The more opportunity we have to create a relationship with our Clients, the more likely they are to actually call us if they have a question or a problem rather than just hiring an attorney to sue us.

It's the same with most Realtors. Both of us have to create that personal relationship and trust that encourage dissatisfied Clients to call us and give us the opportunity to make them happy Clients.

Lawsuits are simply a means for attorneys to redistribute wealth amongst themselves.