Even the most comprehensive home inspection report is half as good without great images. Clients aren’t usually well-versed in inspections, and they might only know their way around a handful of home systems. With clear pictures, they get a clear understanding of what’s right and wrong with the property. And that makes your report a valuable tool.

It’s easy to snap a quick photo using your smartphone or a digital camera and keep on moving. But what’s the quality of that photo like? Is there dust in the air? Dust can affect image clarity. How’s the lighting? Under or overexposure is a common problem. Is the image blurry? If you can’t focus on the objects, your clients can’t focus on the image.

Although it’s better than nothing, a poor image isn’t especially helpful. Clients can see that there’s something in the photo. But when the image lacks fine details, there’s not much to go on when they examine the report.

Your clients want to see a broken gate lock, not a wide-angle picture of a gate with a blurry lock. If they don’t accompany you during the inspection, the image and your words are all that they know.

You don’t need an expensive camera setup to get clear images. Some Androids have cameras with over 20 megapixels. That resolution is more than double the average camera ten years ago. With the advances in mobile digital camera quality, you can adjust focus, exposure and other details with nearly as much precision – sometimes more – as you could with a separate camera.

Smartphone and tablet users have an advantage over people who use a separate camera. Using the Home Inspection Report mobile app, your device can take images and attach them to the report on the spot. That helps make you more efficient, but you still need to put in some practice time.

Your phone or tablet probably came with a manual. Study up on its camera instructions and practice taking pictures under different conditions. That’s the only way to improve, and it’s a good investment of time for the benefit of your business.

When you inspect a home that’s occupied, your chances of getting clear images greatly improve. But when the property is vacant, it might be dark and full of dust. You never know what to expect from one job to the next, so sometimes you need to help the odds. Here are a few tips from Androidpit.com.

The images that you attach to a home inspection report help the client, and they also help you. For the client, they offer a visual aid to clarify the written report. For you, they offer protection. If any party contradicts the inspection findings, your clear images will always be there to back you up.

Home Inspection Report’s mobile app for android makes your job simpler. You can fill out the report step by step on the go, take images and attach them, and then email the finished report before you move on to the next job. And because Android phones have high-quality cameras, a little study and practice on your part can produce great images that serve their purpose well for everyone involved.

The most highly skilled home inspector in the world isn’t much help if customers are left with more questions than answers. You might think that goes without saying. But poor or even mediocre communication almost defeats the purpose of an inspection. It’s nearly as bad as no inspection at all.

Communication is arguably one of the most important elements of your work. You gather information. But it’s not yours, asserts ASHI Reporter, so it shouldn’t stop with you. It shouldn’t even stop with your report. Your job is done when the customer understands what you have found. After all, information is why people hire home inspectors in the first place.

Some home inspectors aren’t entirely comfortable with anyone attending a home inspection. But it definitely has its pros. One of the biggest reasons is perspective. When a customer sees firsthand any defects that you find, there’s much less confusion about what it all means to the item and to the whole house. There’s also a better opportunity to drive home the relevance of defects.

When the customer is there, you can point out issues and answer questions on the spot. Sure, it might take little longer to work that way. But in the long run, it can save time. They more you explain up front, the less you’ll have to explain later though phone calls and emails.

ASHI Reporter says there are four stages to communicating information to your customers. First is observation. Many defects will be obvious, and of course, you’ll have to look for others. Next is thinking. Consider the best way to describe the issue.

Fill in the report field and choose wording carefully. Use additional fields to contain notes that clarify the situation. Then you’re all set to talk about it with the customer. Using this 4-step process, you’ll avoid saying something instinctively that you’ll come to regret, even if it’s just an “Oh dear!”

If your customer is a contractor, you’ll probably have a bit more ease with communication. You can talk about the pitch of the roof, the foundation piers or the R-value of attic insulation, and your customer will be on the same page. But what if he or she has no background in homes or home systems at all? Tailoring your communication style for the customer helps ensure everyone gets the info that they need.

But watch out for assumptions. Those could get you in hot water. The customer who drives a 4WD crew cab truck might have no knowledge about home systems, and the one driving a luxury sedan might be a contractor. Body language and the types of questions they ask are better indicators.

Home inspections are often integral the buyer’s decision-making process. If the inspection reveals challenging defects, the buyer might think twice. And if the inspection report is glowing, it could give the buyer confidence to move ahead. Because so much is on the line, back up your assessments with concrete facts and photos. When you can’t, ASHI Reporter suggests, “be sure to state that it is an opinion based on your background and experience.” This can help avoid lawsuits.

While being cautious, also remember that the information belongs to the customer. You should report on everything that you find in a home inspection, whether it’s positive or negative information. Even defects that you believe are minor should make it into the report because what’s a small issue to you might be a big deal to someone else.

Every home inspection boils down to the inspection report. It’s all about information. And the way that you communicate it can be the difference between a report that’s just a formality and one that arms the customer with knowledge.

If you’re just starting out, you might suffer from a common affliction that plagues many other small business owners. And that’s worrying about generating enough business. What makes your home inspections so good that people will want to make those important referrals? You do, of course!

There are many home inspectors around the U.S. who started out exactly where you are now. Maybe you’re fresh out of school, or maybe you already have a little time in the field. But everyone has to begin at the beginning. It’s how you move ahead that matters. That’s how you build your reputation and get those all-important referrals.

Reliability equals trust, and trust gets referrals. And it applies to everything that you do as a home inspector. It’s all about standing by your word. Show up early for appointments and don’t cancel unless there’s no other possible choice.

Customers rely on you, and that happens during a very stressful time period for them. The more that you can ease their stress, the more likely they’ll be to tell a friend or two. The same applies to your real estate agent peers. When they hear good things about you, they’ll have greater confidence about referring new customers.

Imagine how frustrated you’d feel if an inspector showed up wearing grungy clothes, dirty shoes and then trampled through the house leaving a mess in his wake. Chances are, you’d never do such a thing. But you might unwittingly commit other faux pas which could sully your reputation.

Think about the type of inspector you’d like to see and how you’d like them to perform in your home. If you don’t want to shimmy under a dirty crawlspace, think about whether you’d be disappointed if an inspector charged you full price for part of the work. Be the inspector that you’d want to hire. Others will want to hire you, too.

Lack of communication can be maddening, especially when there are so many other stress factors. And while home inspectors often work solo, that doesn’t mean customers don’t need to ask for clarification or just want a little assurance that the house isn’t on its last legs.

A phone call takes only a few minutes and an email takes less than that. When customers contact you, always make yourself available or schedule a time to call back. It seems like a small detail. Good communication can also protect you, says Working RE If a customer ever has a complaint, written communication, even in an email, can support your case.

The hands-on inspection might feel like the bigger part of the job to you. But to a customer, the report is more important. That’s why the home inspection reporting software you choose makes a difference. A professional report that’s easy to read and contains plenty of images helps paint the picture for a customer who doesn’t attend the inspection. For those who do, it serves as reinforcement.

Deliver the report as soon as you can after the inspection is complete, at least within 24 hours. That breeds goodwill and makes the customer happy. In decades past, handwritten or typed inspection reports required more time. But with Home Inspection Report software, you can finalize a report and send it to the customer before you leave the site. That’s more efficient than software that requires you to sync your phone or tablet to a home computer first.

Your work will speak for itself, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need a little marketing and advertising. Some inspectors stop by and chat with real estate agents, dropping off a stack of business cards in the process. Some are actively involved in social media. Some build a website, and some advertise in a local newspaper.

It doesn’t matter how you choose to market your home inspection services. It only matters that you make the effort to generate more business and referrals. Get your name out there. Have it embroidered on your shirts, use a magnetic placard for your vehicle and leave business cards and flyers everywhere that you can.

Every new business owner has a few doubts. That’s human nature. Business might be slow at first, and that’s normal, too. With every customer that you meet, inspection that you perform, real estate agent you visit and advertising effort you make, you have an opportunity to build your reputation. In fact, you will build a reputation whether or not you try. Take the more direct route, and you’ll cultivate your good name.

Nothing heightens home safety awareness quite like an unexpected disaster. It’s happening right now in Anchorage, Alaska. In the aftermath of the McHugh fire, homeowners with a renewed concern about protecting their property are requesting home inspections, even for houses that aren’t for sale.

No one wants to benefit from another person’s misfortune. But when a disaster strikes, sometimes the lessons learned through the process can help save more lives in the long run.

The cause was initially a mystery, like many fires. But the Department of Natural Resources in Alaska soon determined that it sparked from an unattended campfire that was built in an unprotected area and not fully extinguished. Escaped campfires are completely preventable, says the DNR.

That one campfire led to an amazing 842 acres of damage, according to Alaska Public Media. Homeowners were put at risk as the blaze grew. But with the help of nearly 100 out-of-state firefighters and the luck of some rain, the fire was eventually contained.

Of course, a wildfire isn’t the same as a home electrical fire. But fire prevention has been at the forefront of Alaska homeowner minds since the blaze broke out. If it can be prevented, as many fires can, then it’s worth the time and expense to do so. And with vegetation a real factor in the way that a fire can spread, there’s more than electricity to worry about.

Home inspections are up in the Anchorage area now, as homeowners want to find and resolve risks before they have the opportunity to turn into a disaster. The Anchorage Fire Department will come to a home, inspect and then make recommendations, such as cutting back vegetation and other risk factors. As of July 25, there were about 100 people on the inspection waiting list.

Disasters seem to me happen when they’re least expected.

The fire department looks for certain fire risk factors, but they’re not always on call for home inspections. An inspection by a certified home inspector can go the extra mile. For example, you might locate a risky outlet tucked away in an attic where damaged wiring could lead to a tragedy.

Marketing your skills to homeowners is another way to strengthen goodwill with the community and provide a potentially life-saving service. There doesn’t need to be a disaster for there to be disaster awareness. And with a campaign to remind homeowners of the risks, especially with autumn on the horizon and winter not far behind, you could help homeowners stay safer and healthier.

Fire risks are no respecters of people. They can happen in a brand new home as easily as one that was built 100 years ago. But the average homeowner doesn’t have the same skill set that you do. An awareness campaign can make your business stronger and it can help families throughout your area stay safer year-round.

The majority of home inspections happen just prior to the sale of a house. That leaves a big untapped market where you could grow your business. Pre-listing home inspections flip the focus from the buyer to the seller, which is just as beneficial. From a seller’s standpoint, more knowledge about the home helps manage expectations about a realistic listing price. It also offers a bit of focus for meaningful home repairs that could support a higher one.

Another way to approach pre-listing inspections is after repairs are done. Many homeowners feel empowered to take on projects, such as installing new tile in the bath or building a deck. An inspection afterward gives homeowners a head up in case there’s an issue that might emerge later.

The market value of a house is partly determined by comps or surrounding properties that have recently sold. If the house in question is nicer, has more amenities and perhaps a better lot, it might fit into the higher value range. Conversely, if the house needs repairs, the comps might all be higher than its value.

A pre-listing inspection shows homeowners what’s up. If most of the comps were sold in need of repair, the homeowner can decide on the most effective areas to apply repair and upgrade dollars without pricing the home too high. Too many upgrades obliterate any chance at a return on investment at the sale. That said, sometimes repairs can support a sale where it might not happen at all. In that case, a slight loss on ROI might be worth it just to attract buyers.

Flawed logic suggests that the owner of a home should know it better than anyone else. People grow accustomed to defects, and some defects aren’t easy for the untrained eye to spot. The homeowner might have a dip or hump in the kitchen floor, drafts at a window and a mold issue behind the toilet. If it’s been a problem for years, the defect might not even hit the homeowner’s radar.

Some defects are hidden. An outlet behind a sofa might never be used, so the homeowner wouldn’t know that it’s defective. And a leak in the attic has no reason to catch the owner’s attention unless it has dripped through to the living space. An inspector finds defects that homeowners might not even know to look for, and that puts power into the seller’s hands.

If you’ve read any number of articles online about home inspectors who kill the sale, you probably don’t want to find yourself in those ranks. Working for sellers helps you help them. Instead of finding lurking problems that make a buyer think twice, your work can educate homeowners about the real condition of the house long before there’s a sale on the line.

In upscale neighborhoods where it’s a seller’s market, supporting the sale might not be an issue. But in difficult areas with hard-to-move properties, the inspection can perform as a marketing tool. If the home is in great shape, the homeowner can use the report to put a buyer’s mind at ease. And if it’s not, the seller can either negotiate a lower price to make the sale or invest a little money and bring the home up to a better standard.

Home inspections aren’t just for buyers. They’re a smart investment for any real estate transaction, no matter which side your customer is on. And with a professional report in hand, the results are clear and easy to understand.