by 
After my home inspection of a brand new, never been lived in house, I thought about calling the client and letting him know how things went. I don’t generally think about calling a client, but this report was gonna sour the deal to be sure. The realtor had already suggested to my client that he should use their guy to do the inspection. I guess I’ve got a reputation around here. My client thankfully liked the job I did for him last time and stuck with me.
Nine times out of ten, when you get a feeling about something you should act on it. A phone call today from my client underscores how people can interpret and blow out of proportion the comments in a report. To make things worse he acted on his fears and canceled the deal without speaking with me to sort out any concerns he had about the property.
I did this client a dis-service by not calling. I knew in the back of my head that a phone call was in order for this deal to stay in place. Frankly, this house and its conditions could have been fixed. Reports have a way of making things sound worse than they are. After our conversation, he said he had changed his mind and was willing to stay in the deal provided that the builder corrected all the conditions listed in the report, to which there were many.
Sour feelings require a pro-active stance, such as calling to explain conditions more thoroughly. Reports are short in there descriptions and much is left to an uneducated persons mind as to just how bad a condition may be. Make sure you always follow up in person on a report that gives you a sour feeling.
Copyright © 2005 by Bob Kille. To read other home inspection related articles or to view home inspection software and book publications by Mr. Kille, click on this link. www.inspectorsuccess.com