House of Horrors (actual home, thousands of defects, inside a building) update thread

This thread is dedicated to updating everyone on InterNACHI’s House of Horrors project. Watch the time-lapse video of the House of Horrors being built.

The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) is pleased to announce that it is building the ultimate inspection training facility… The InterNACHI House of Horrors in Gunbarrel, Colorado As part of InterNACHI University, the House of Horrors is a full-size house with thousands of defects, constructed inside a new two story, 15,000 square foot studio. Video technology using iPads throughout the house and complex will be used to enhance the visitor’s experience. The project is designed to provide inspectors with very realistic training using an actual home that has more defects than most inspectors will come upon in an entire home inspection career.

The inspector will be able to virtually walk through the house and do a visual inspection. With a simple headset, inspectors will be able use a smart phone and move their head to “look” around the room. This technology places the remote inspector right into the House of Horrors. This is the first step in the owner of a multi-inspector firm being able to attend multiple inspections at the same time by outfitting his assistant inspectors with technology that allows the owner to accompany his assistant inspectors on their inspections virtually, from a central location.

The commercial building it is housed within will also be used to train commercial property inspectors using the International Standards of Practice for Inspecting Commercial Properties.

The House of Horrors will be intentionally modified to include:

  • improperly wired outlets;
  • plumbing code violations;
  • an electrical service full of issues;
  • 16 different sidings & stucco exterior finishes;
  • 31 different roofing systems;
  • cut-away drywall to expose framing members;
  • environmental hazards;
  • various types of insulation systems;
  • improper gutter/downspout systems;
  • heating systems with defects;
  • three different water heating systems;
  • green building features;
  • over 190 different safety concerns;
  • an infrared training wall and roofing system with manipulated water leaks and electrical issues;
  • a sprinkler to simulate rain on the roof;
  • safety glass;
  • drainage;
  • roof penetrations;
  • notches and holes in joists;
  • a full masonry chimney;
  • damaged and clogged sewer lines for sewer scope training;
  • common code violations;
  • a full-size septic system with tanks;
  • vents;
  • crawlspaces that student can actually enter;
  • egress violations;
  • clothes dryer problems;
  • TPR discharge valves;
  • energy loss issues;
  • an exterior “deck of horrors” with dozens of issues;
  • a set of stairs with a deck for visiting inspectors to access the roof and chimney;
  • firewall issues;
  • appliances;
  • elderly, child, and pet safety issues;
  • improperly installed radon mitigation system;
  • a full kitchen with defects;
  • a full bathroom with defects; and
  • a glass floor that allows students to see the structure.

The home will also be used to produce advanced, online video training courses for InterNACHI University. (InterNACHI is in the process of becoming an accredited university that will be able to issue college degrees in inspection.)

Visiting inspectors will be provided with an experience superior to ride-alongs, online aids, classroom training, textbooks, or correspondence courses.

Various inspection tools, meters, and infrared cameras will be available for use onsite.

An online inspector obstacle course using the House of Horrors is also being developed and will include a video game-style virtual exam to test defect recognition skills.

The specially dedicated complex, host to the House of Horrors, will also have:

  • an indoor classroom;
  • an industry vendor display room;
  • Inspector Outlet store;
  • an inspector library and literature room;
  • individual cut-away system and component displays;
  • trial-basis reporting software;
  • personal protective equipment;
  • a ladder safety display;
  • tools, meters, and infrared cameras to try out; and
  • a lunch room for visitors.

Also on hand will be the ultimate inspection vehicle.

The complex will also house InterNACHI’s Inspector Marketing Department so that visiting inspectors can get free design and marketing help onsite.

The complex will additionally house InterNACHI’s Legal Department so that visiting inspectors can get free business and legal advice.

The complex will also be available for free to all InterNACHI members as a film set to produce custom online video commercials that promote their inspection businesses. Perfect studio lighting and audio.

A wax dummy of a real estate agent has yet to be procured.

When staying overnight:

Hampton Inn & Suites
6333 Lookout Rd. in Boulder, CO 80301 (1 mile north of class location)
(303) 530-3300
Email Michelle@internachi.org to get a special room rate $99.
Room includes free parking, free breakfast, and free WiFi.
Free shuttle will be provided to and from InterNACHI Headquarters.

Return to this thread for updates.

internachi-house-of-horrors.jpg

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Update: “House of Horrors” awarded U.S. Trademark on Principal Register: http://www.nachi.org/house-of-horrors-trademark.htm

Update: InterNACHI’s online video studio moving to new, two-story, 15,000 square foot complex on January 8, 2016 where the House of Horrors will be built.

Update: Time lapse cameras will be running during construction and the videos will be released here on this thread.

Where is the new place? I believe you said Gunbarrel? Are you moving everything over there?

The house sounds like a great project! I look forward to seeing it. :cool:

Yes, it is in Gunbarrel. Open to all InterNACHI members for free.

Nice.

I look forward to one day visiting the house in person.

Will you be using a Materport type shooting process?

When is the anticipated opening date of this new monster facility ?

Sounds great and the possibilities are endless.

Maybe in the future you might want to consider virtual reality as an option as an additional training tool. This would allow anyone anywhere in the country/world to take the course from the comfort of their own home.

There would be some logistics that would have to be worked out but if anyone could do it Nick could.

Just throwing ideas.

Check this out Nick - http://www.nmusafvirtualtour.com/full/tour-std.html

Update: We released a sign which will be painted on the inside wall of the complex, next to the house:

We’ll be open at the end of next week.

I’ve researched a number of processes to develop the walk through. Matterport is very interesting and is a possibility. The technology for developing virtual walk throughs is improving daily. With so many possibilities, I am working on discovering what will be best tool for education our inspectors.

The House of Horrors is going to be an amazing education opportunity, for the inspectors both in person and through virtual reality.

Awesome. :smiley:

Matterport 2.0 just came out and they will be releasing in a month or so the ability to annotate your shoots. So you can put little blue dots throughout the house. When you click on the dots you can have info, links, etc.

I started one for one of the courses I teach. We call it something else though

This is right in line with what we are doing. The inspector will be able to virtually walk through the house and do a visual inspection.

With a simple headset like this: http://www.gearbest.com/home-gadgets/pp_198408.html?currency=USD&gclid=CO-BhdGBkcoCFQ2QaQod97YL9Q You will be able use your smart phone and move your head to “look” around the room.

This is going to be be amazing! No one else will have a program like this that places the remote inspector right into the House of Horrors.

Check these videos out here to see how amazing this technology is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdZ02-Qenso

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALKM_jGCpkk

Sweet!

Matter Port not only provides a walk through but also 3D maps the entire house. Check this out.

We will have a 3D rendition of the House of Horrors. Why just read about home inspecting when you will be able to perform an actual visual inspection on a real house? Its going to be the best way to learn the trade in person and online.

They do some amazing things. One of the matterport cameras extends the Google street view right into your home or business. You could do a whole “neighborhood of horrors” :slight_smile:

The videos were awesome. I have never seen anything like this.