comments

When I see reviews like this that I feel are unnecessary and not accurate, it saddens us greatly. We never want to have a client be dissatisfied. Yet, there are times the expectations or thoughts of clients cannot be met or predicted as the expectations and perceptions are beyond a home inspection and the purpose of a home inspection. I am sorry to hear that the written comments made in the inspection report, the verbal comments made at the inspection site and the visual pointing out of the conditions were not completely understood during the "walk-thru". However, the inspection report and discussion at the house during inspection did clearly indicate the siding was rotted in some areas and delaminating in others. There were no important defects missed. Maybe not understood but not missed at all.

Had this Client requested to have the Seller fix the siding, the Seller MAY have agreed to repair it. Yet, in today's real estate market, Sellers are not compelled nor required to repair or address anything found in a home inspection report. As an inspection firm, we do not control that aspect of the transaction and cannot have any impact on what a buyer and seller decide to do during a transaction. The defects were clearly identified visually, verbally and in a written inspection report - if it gets fixed or not, is not up to the inspector.

When the Client called post-inspection and post-closing on the home, we discussed the siding issue in a manner of what can be done to make repair of the condition. I was asked to come back and see how the siding could be repaired as a follow up to the inspection but not as "you missed something and you need to come back." Since I do not do repairs, as a home inspector should not ever do repair work due to its conflict of interest, I indicated a referral to a contractor I know might be made for them to discuss what can be done for the condition identified in the report. Since the Client's property is out of the ordinary geographic range of myself and of this contractor, and the marketplace being extremely busy, I assume there has been a delay. However, the repair of the siding or a referral to a repair contractor has nothing to do with the inspection.

It seems this review is more about the Client being disappointed about not doing something about a repair that was identified and is now wondering why it wasn't handled prior to sale. We are not in control of that aspect of the transaction and making referrals to others or doing repairs are not within the scope of a home inspection. The review also states "I think the rest of the inspection went OK, and he had good knowledge." The inspection was completed professionally, timely and accurately. That is within the scope of the inspection. Repairs, referrals, return visits to consult about who to use to repair or how to repair, is not within the scope of a home inspection. When referrals can be made or "courtesy visits" can be made, they are. However, it cannot be a guaranteed service and is never presented to be so.

We are sorry this Client feels as if they have been treated with less than 5 star service and would choose not to refer us with less than a 4 or 5-star rating. We are always open to discuss the matter further with the Client if that is something the Client would like.

A-Pro Home Inspections Services commented on 06/09/2018