Buyer Not Present During Inspection - Any Tips?

Hi Gang,

I have an inspection this coming Tuesday for a military relocation client. He can’t be at the home inspection. The buyers agent will be there.
It’s my first inspection where the buyer won’t be present. Any tips or special considerations for CYA items?

Thanks!

Get paid before you send the report.

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Did lots for the service with no client all ways went great .
All the best … Roy ,

No worry with Payment from the service the check will arrive shortly

Be sure to have your agreement signed before the inspection, either by the buyer’s agent, acting on the buyer’s behalf, or send the buyer the agreement to be signed before the inspection.

And
Get paid before sending the report… as mentioned.
Cheers

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Military pays for arm service personal .
They send the check out in a few days after the inspection never pay before the inspection .
We live near the largest Canadian Forces air base done hundreds of service members inspections . Great people never a complaint .

Enjoy your time alone

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In today’s world act just like the buyer was present as you may be on candid camera by the seller.

I do every inspection w/o the client present :smiley:

If you perform a thorough inspection and create a comprehensive and detailed report there should be no need for CYA! :wink:

Take clear photos of defects with context shots to help identify the location. Describe locations in some detail. Your client will be seeing the deficiencies through your descriptions.

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We typically take a series of “general photos” of the areas exterior and interior if the client has not been able to visit the property. In addition to to the regular report.

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I got a clause in my agreement that the buyer is encouraged to be at the inspection and to ask questions. By not being at the inspection, the buyer understand he is at risk of misinterperting an inspection.

Shouldn’t this go for any report/client? You never know who may be looking at it…or when…or why.

Put room shots in the report as you will be giving a tour and add more tips as they are not there to get them verbally. Also add illustrations if your software allows it.

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It does for me, but it’s obviously not a universal thing…

I remember when there were people who argued that photos were completely unnecessary and superfluous in reports if you described the defect correctly. They were fluff. I haven’t heard that one in a while. Those inspectors may have gone the way of the dinosaurs.

^ This.

Even if they’re attending, many people have no clue about homes.

Plenty of smart educated people don’t know a gas meter from a water meter from an electric meter.

Other than mentioning client didn’t attend in the report, I don’t do anything different.

A local inspector told me he recently did an inspection with no client and the seller or agent called him a week later complaining about some of his comments during the inspection … I think he said it turned out the seller had a camera OR something called a RING that either recorded him or video taped his comments about this POS house.

I would love to see the video compared to what was documented in the report.