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The kitchen is often the heart of a home. It is where kids gather after school, your midnight snack occurs, and family dinners and holidays are focused. It also contains some pretty important appliances and safety features that should be inspected before a home owner moves in. When conducting your inspection in the kitchen, make sure to hit these major points. 

1. Appliances: If the home owner has appliances, check them! Make sure their appliances are working and nothing stands out as a red flag. 

2. Cabinets: Spend some time to open drawers and cabinets. Ensure that everything opens properly and looks to be in good condition.  

3. Exhaust fan: Exhaust fans are used to pull excess moisture and unwanted odors out of a particular room. This is particularly important in the kitchen when cooking things that could smoke or cause moisture in the kitchen. Does the fan work? Is it vented to the exterior building? These are important pieces to check for. 

4. Garbage disposal: Garbage disposals are a handy feature that home owners can often use incorrectly. Make sure it works for the new home owners and that there is no excessive rust. 

5. Pipes: Check for leaks in the pipes under the kitchen sink. This is a mess that your homeowner does not want to have to deal with when moving in. 

6. Faucets, Sinks, and Drains: Take a look at the water coming out of the faucet. Make sure the coloring looks good and note how long it takes for the water to get hot. After this, let it run for a minute and guarantee it drains properly.  

7. Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter: A ground fault circuit interrupter is an outlet that detects an interruption in current that could be caused by an electrical appliance coming in contact with water. It immediately cuts the power and potentially saves lives. This should be within six feet of the sink.  

8. Smoke Detector. Ensure there is a smoke detector and that it works properly. 41% of house fires start in the kitchen area.  

Kitchens can be a dangerous place in the home if not inspected. Emphasis the importance of this to home owners and keep their happy place, just that, happy! 

On April 4th, 2019 Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed House Bill 433 to establish a home inspection licensing law in the state of New Mexico. This bill was originally stated to go into effective on January 1st, 2020. 

Due to the ongoing situation, as of March 1st, 2020 home inspectors in New Mexico can inspect residential properties without a license. 

The Board and Commissions fro New Mexico Home Inspectors is currently in the process of finalizing the process for becoming a licensed home inspector in New Mexico. 

There is an upcoming Board meeting scheduled on October 28th, 2020 and we hope to have more information then. 

Stay up to date on New Mexico's official website. 

Whether we are drinking it, bathing in it, or washing our clothes in it, water is an essential part of the home. Because of that, it is important to ensure that the homeowner has nothing to worry about when it comes to the quality of their water. This can be done through a water quality test during a home inspection.  

Water quality testing is the method of checking a home’s water for pollutants or contaminants. This could be things like lead, chlorine, or even bacteria. The test also analyzes the pH and looks for any imbalances. These tests can reveal dangerous levels of bacteria, nitrates from fertilizers, iron or arsenic, heavy metal contamination, and water hardness. Most of these issues are hopefully sorted out through water system plants but can occasionally be missed.  

Adding this skill to your list can add another thing for you to market to customers. Water should be tested annually to keep residents safe. The test can be performed with a specialized water testing kit. Kits can be found at local stores but do not always prove to be reliable. It is recommended to purchase your water testing kit from a state laboratory or local health department to guarantee an accurate reading. 

Get trained on what to look for in a water test and add this to your list of services. Homeowners will be grateful for the extra step in keeping them safe and you will become even more valuable to your customers. 

Pests are the unwelcome house guests that make themselves right at home during the winter. The most common pests that home owner’s experience include thwart mice, squirrels, and spiders. None of which being something that you would like to find in your home. Prepare home owners for these rodents and bugs and they will be thanking you all season!

Mice find a way to shimmy through the smallest of cracks on the outside of the house. As a home inspector, it is important to keep an eye out for gaps between the framing and siding of the house. This is the perfect way for these sneaky rodents to make their entrance. To check these areas, try using a small mirror and flashlight to look for cracks that need to be sealed. These can be taken care of with some insulation.

There are also some more obvious ways that home inspectors can keep mice from kicking up their feet in a home. Garages are a big flashing welcome sign for pests. Encourage home owners to keep their garage door closed as much as possible or to line the garage with traps. If the home owners are animal people, a cat is also never a bad idea when it comes to catching mice.

Spiders, on the other hand, are a little trickier than mice considering their size difference. Spiders live in woodpiles, bushes, windows, and other areas near the base of the home. With that being said, it is important to encourage home owners to keep these things as far from their house as possible. If they have a stock of firewood near the house for the winter, they might as well invite the spiders in for a cup of coffee. It is also important to ensure bushes and trees near the home are trimmed and not encroaching on the home. These precautions combined with simply keeping an eye out for webs and any other small areas like decks where they can enter through, should keep the house spider-free.

Providing these tips to home owners whether it is during the actual inspection or in follow up communication, will keep them happy through the winter. It is much easier to prevent these problems from happening rather than dealing with the aftermath.

Termites are the small but mighty pests that can take your home from a perfectly liveable space to breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Termites can eat quite a bit of wood in a very short time frame which can ruin the value of your home if not taken seriously. Preventing this issue from ever occurring, however, is the best route to take when it comes to protecting your home. Make sure that your homeowner’s keep an eye out for the following in order to avoid the dreaded home eaters.

• Eliminate moisture. Termites love a moist location and if that happens to be surrounding the homeowner’s home, they will settle in. Make sure that owners keep faucets, water pipes, and air conditioning units in working condition and leak free. 

• Keep mulch to a minimum. Excess mulch and ground cover can be a welcome sign to termites.

• Block off any entry points. Have owners seal any areas around water and utility pipes that could be used as an entry way for the pest.

•  Find a safe place to store firewood, paper, and lumber. If this is located near the foundation, it might set the termites up to start feeding near the house, eventually working their way to the bigger prize.

• Encourage inspections. Not only are more inspections good for your business but they also allow the client to know they are in a good place. Decks and wooden fences should be checked on a regular basis in order to check for damage.

Keeping clients and potential clients up to date on these types of issues and helping them to prevent them before any issues arise, will build the credibility of your company. The more you can be an asset to the client the more likely they are to refer you or use you again for their next inspection. 

Like any business owner, the importance of being online is only growing! There are several ways for you to reach your potential or returning clients online and we are here to offer some advice on doing just that.

1.     Make your website a standout amongst competitors.

When it comes to your website, it is important that you a) have one and b) make it a good one. Ensure that your website is easy to navigate, fast, and visually pleasing. Your customers do not want to spend time digging through pages trying to find what they need. Have everything at their fingertips on the home page. This does not mean overload the home page with information. Simply have buttons and photos that direct them to where they need to go. Make sure that your contact information is front and center. This is most likely what they are coming to your website for in the first place.

2.     Blog until your fingers are numb.

Well maybe not that much, but blogging can be a great way to reach customers who are having a problem with their home! Whenever you come across a red flag in a house, use it as blog content. Inform readers of what they should be on the lookout for and what their next steps should be, especially if it means calling a home inspector to check it out! People doing a quick Google search for what they have noticed in their house, might just stumble across your blog, exposing you to a potential customer.

3.     Jump on the social media bandwagon but do not over do it.

It is important to be on a social media platform, but only platforms that your target audience is on. As a home inspector, that would most likely be Facebook. Facebook is where people are more inclined to leave reviews and share your page with others who might also be interested in your services. By limiting your social media use to one or two platforms, you are ensuring that you have the time and energy to maintain the pages the way they should be maintained. As a home inspector, social media can be used to share stories of things you come across on the job, promote partnerships, and more!

4.     Put your business on top with Google Ads.

Google Ads is an online advertising platform where you can pay to display brief advertisements, service offerings, and sit your business at the top of the search engine. Potential customers are either going to find you through recommendations or a quick Google search. If everyone they Google has 5 stars, it can be beneficial to be the first one they come across.

Implementing just one of these online marketing strategies can help to grow the awareness of your company. See which one works best for you and continue to learn more about utilizing the internet for your marketing needs.

What the Defect?  Wisconsin rules still unclear. 

Legislative changes impact what a home inspector calls a defect

https://www.aaahi.org/Articles/July2018WisconsinDefects

There’s nothing better than a home with a beautiful deck filled with rocking chairs and flowerpots. There is also nothing worse than a deck that could cave in at any moment. Whether it is due to age or poor construction, many decks are at risk making it increasingly important to know what to look for when performing your home inspection.

This issue is something that is often overlooked by both homeowners and inspectors. One of the limited studies done on deck collapses concluded that “224,000 people were injured nationally due to a deck or porch between 2003 and 2007. Of those injuries, 33,000 were a result of a structural failure or collapse”, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

If these facts are concerning to you, here’s what to keep an eye out for when it comes to your deck!

1. Unstable Railings. If the rails on your porch tend to move around, red flags should be raised. The railing should not be able to move more than half an inch. This can be a scary problem for homeowners because people often tend to put a lot of trust in the railings of the porch, often leaning against them no matter the height of the deck.

1. Worn or Missing Metal Connectors. Residential code requires decks to have metal connectors to ensure a stable surface. Make sure these metal connectors are in place and are free of corrosion.

1. Heaved or Dropped Footings. Keep a close eye on heaving or dropped footings. Dropping is typically caused by footings being poured on disturbed soil while heaving is usually a result of freezing conditions. If either of these appear to be present, the deck should most likely be replaced.

1. Lack of Flashing. Flashing is used to prevent a buildup of moisture and debris. If this crucial piece is missing, the deck is at risk. This is something homeowners should be aware of before purchasing.

Make homeowners’ decks somewhere they can spend happy hours, barbeques, and family time without the fear of an accident.

Source: https://www.homeinspector.org/HomeInspectionNews/4-warning-signs-of-an-unsafe-deck.7-22-2019.2693/Details/Story

California SB 422 – Pool Safety Act

As if selling real estate didn’t have enough liability, it has now become part of a home inspection to check certain safety features of a pool no matter what. If your home inspector is not certified, insured, or accustomed to inspecting swimming pools it could transfer extra liability onto the Realtors and sellers if someone becomes injured or drowns.

Starting January 1st, 2018, a new requirement was added to the California Business and Professional Code 7195 which regulates home inspections. AB 422 adds a requirement that all homes sold that have a pool, including spas and portable spas, must now be evaluated for the presence of certain safety features to prevent drownings.

 READ THE FULL ARTICLE:  https://sdinspect.com/real-estate-news/pool-safety-act/

When doing a home inspection, the word “mold” can turn both the buyer and real-estate agent’s faces ghost white. It is the dreaded part of the buying process because it can take what a buyer saw as a dream home to nothing and an agent’s sell into a loss. The reactions, however, do not mean that mold testing should not be done.

Mold can seriously impact the home owner’s health. Some people can experience nasal stuffiness, throat irritation, coughing, wheezing, or more serious side effects like chronic lung illness or infections. As a home inspector, your job is to ensure the safety of those who are moving into the house. Without this inspection you are risking the health of others.

With that being said, there are variations of how serious mold can be. Rather than just stating a black or white statement of yes, the house has mold or no, it does not, indicate the level of seriousness. This is something that can heavily weigh into a home owner’s decision and can make the conversation easier to have. “More than 80% of the mold-related lawsuits occur as a direct result of the inspector not offering mold testing to their client and failing to mention red-flags for mold that were apparent during the inspection" (Sherwood).

Even if a mold inspection is not something that is part of your regular routine, it is worth offering and can save you a lot of trouble in the long run!