Who Usually Attends a Home Inspection?

Usually when I arrive to a unoccupied house for a home inspection, especially if I’m in one of the shadier-parts of the San Antonio area, I like to lock the door behind me. That way, I know exactly who is coming in or out of the home, as I feel that it’s my responsibility to hold down the fort if I’m the only one present. At least that’s how I would want a home inspector to treat my home.

None the less, all kinds of people show up to say hello during a home inspection.

1) Of course we love it when a home-buyer shows up to the house near the end of the inspection. We get to meet face-to-face, discuss any issues we’ve found in the report, and do a walk-through of the property so you know exactly whats going on.

2) I find there are a lot of responsible buyer’s agents out there that like to be personally present for inspections. Most of the time these agents are just ensuring that the home is being thoroughly inspected and the buyer is getting what they pay for, but some agents are more inquisitive than others and like to follow along.

3) In occupied homes, its not uncommon at all to find tenants or the current owners living and wandering around the home. While no home inspector would like to work around people through the course of the inspection, sometimes its what is necessary and some people get real nervous having an unknown person in the privacy of their home. We try to be as courteous and respectful as possible of people’s personal space, and if they want to follow alone we won’t say anything.

4) Funny enough, other agents and potential home-buyers tend to show up RIGHT when we are performing the inspection. Sometimes inspections gets scheduled so quick that the listing agent can’t change the status of the home quick enough on the MLS and realtors show up to a home that is already under active option and being inspected. When this happens, I typically won’t interfere with the showing but I do like to inform the buying agent that the home is under active option and that the prospective home-buyers should know that this home may not be available.

It’s our preference that the client, whether they are home-buyers or home-sellers, be present at the end of the inspection so that we can go over defects and deficiencies found.