I recently had the opportunity to inspect a home listed at over 4,900 square feet. I am a single inspector, I do not have a team to help me out. How did I handle all that?
I made a clear plan of attack, communicated it with the client, then followed it through. That home was almost double the size of many of my inspections, so I decided to take two days to cover it all. I wrote out a plan and brought that with me to the inspection.
My plan started with the more difficult, more complex systems and areas first. It looked like this:
Day 1: start at 9am, aim to stop about 3pm. Inspect in this order:
1. Attics (including furnaces and water heaters)
2. Condensing units
3. Electrical panels
4. Run air conditioning and heat while continuing with inspection
5. Kitchen
6. Other first floor rooms
7. Second floor rooms
8. Garage
Day 2: start at 9am, aim to stop about noon. Inspect in this order:
1. Roof
2. Exterior – walls, grading
3. Pavilion
4. Fence and pool barrier
5. Lawn sprinkler
6. Anything else
Each day took me 30-45 minutes longer than planned (partly due to a very chatty resident); overall it worked out about how I expected. On the evening of Day 1, I was able to clean up some things in the report from that day’s work. On Day 2, I did a final review of the report in the afternoon. It was then completed and delivered to the client before 5:00pm.
With this plan, I was able to break down the large job into manageable parts. It also helped me to not feel rushed, especially as I got to the afternoon of Day 1. I knew that everything was under control and that I would have the time I needed for a thorough inspection.
What questions do you have about your home? Contact me anytime, I’ll be happy to talk with you. Tim Howell, Milepost Home Inspection, 832-986-1942, inspector@mileposthome.com. Texas Professional Inspector License #24309.