When I walked into the garage and seen this I knew it was gonna be a long day. Anyone want to take a stab at where that standpipe drained to? Not that that is the only issue going on with this photo.
Outside
HA…thats a given…I found it quite clever that harry the homeowner actually piped this out to the big oak tree in the back yard about 80 ft away and that is where it drains. Now you can probably imagine how the rest of the inspection went…Im still doing the report…time for a beer.
I like the PVC as conduit too
I don’t even try to list all of the defects on these Harvey specials anymore. It’s a waste of time and may give the client the impression that every defect is actually in the report.
I make a point of listing and documenting quite a few of the defects then report that there’s a whole lot more where that came from. Of course also recommend the appropriate contractor(s) to further evaluate and repair as necessary. Not in that exact language but you get the idea. These inspections now take about the same time as a typical inspection when writing. Just a thought…
Mine goes out to the pasture (seriously). Keeps the grass green. 
Are you talking about not reporting every instance of a defect or just leaving some out (like the drain in this thread)? Aren’t we paid to include the observed defects in the report? How will the buyer know what to have fixed if you don’t put all the observed defects in the report? I don’t think we ought to use our judgment about what’s ‘report worthy’ and what’s not. Not sure if that’s what you mean, but that’s how I read it.
I grit my teeth and write up what I see and say something like this at the end of the report: “Maintenance has been poor throughout the inside and outside of the home. Walls, ceilings, floor coverings, siding, trim, windows, screens, gutters, roofs, etc. are in general disrepair and we cannot comment on every instance of each defect because they are too numerous. We recommend that you perform your own evaluation of the house interior & exterior because the cost of bringing the house up to acceptable standards may be considerable. Note that the process of demolition and renovation may reveal hidden defects that may affect your costs for remodeling.”
First off lets be clear. I’m talking about the fixers that have been Harvey Home Ownered to death. The kind where you could spend a full day just on the inspection then another half day or so writing up the report.
My general disclaimer, also at the end of the report, is very similar to what you’ve stated. With that said, yes, I’m talking about not reporting every defect when numerous instances of similar defects are present throughout the home. That is, with so many electrical or plumbing issues observed it becomes redundant at some point. My thinking is why do you have to write pages of electrical defects in order to recommend the full system be evaluated by an electrician? I’ll document enough so that the client will understand, without a doubt, the system in question is in need of major repair or full replacement.
Basically it’s the same as your statement “*we cannot comment on every instance of each defect because they are too numerous”. *I make damn sure the client understands the scope of the defects and that we are NOT documenting each and everyone one. As long as I communicate effectively the condition of the property and the limitations of the inspection report all is good.
To sum it up what I’m trying to say is effective communication, in writing, can save hours at the keyboard. Trying to note each and every defect in a true fixer is just plain overkill.
Joe, it appears that you first say we should report all defects and then that you cannot.
I don’t follow you.
To some extent I agree. I don’t document each instance of a hole in the wall in a POS. Nor each instance of a missing light fixture or door knob in a foreclosure. However, I thoroughly document each defect I see when it comes to plumbing or electrical or structural. If I didn’t do that, how would the plumber or carpenter or electrician know what to repair? You can’t expect them to spend 3 hours surveying the house looking for defects to repair. They have to have some specifics from the HI report. And, if I’m hired to do a re-inspect, I sure want to know where each defect is without having to do a whole new inspection.
Larry, read the previous post. I hope that explains it. :roll:
Joe, I think we comparing apples to oranges here. In real POS, with extensive defects on any one system, the contractor should evaluate the whole thing. In those instances the last thing I want to do is have the client think the report is an all-inclusive fix list. I make it clear that the contractor in question will likely identify additional defects.
For me the most time consuming inspections are the ones that don’t quit make it to POS status. Those are the ones where a full system evaluation would not be appropriate but numerous defects still need to be documented.
Just Note it as an part time working sprinkler system with suds.