There is no shortage of inspiration for people who want to start a home inspecting business. Follow your dreams. Isn’t that what all of the motivational posters say? But what about all of the things that you should never do?

Some practices can hurt your business before it gets off the ground. Others can land you in trouble with the government. If you want to succeed, avoid these 5 quick and easy ways to lose your business.

#1: Who Needs Insurance?

Home inspectors need liability insurance to protect against damage that might happen on the job. If you accidentally knock over a vase or tip your ladder into a window, liability will cover the damage. However, there’s another kind of insurance that some inspectors skip.

Errors and Omissions, usually shortened to E&O, covers you against errors and omissions or oversights in your inspecting work. If you miss a serious defect with the HVAC system or roof, your customer might file a lawsuit. E&O can protect your business if the customer incurs an expense because you missed a defect.

#2: Nobody Will Know if I Don’t Get CE Credits

Not every area requires home inspectors to earn continuing education credits, but many markets do. The same applies to home inspector associations, as credits are often part of renewals.

If you skip continuing education where it’s required, you could lose your license, your association membership or both. Do yourself and your customers a favor. Study up and keep your requirements current.

#3: I Can’t Afford to Risk Killing a Sale

If you’re like many home inspectors, referrals from real estate agents help keep you in business. If a home inspection report reveals defects that make a buyer think twice, your bread and butter might be at risk.

Some inspectors gloss over defects to preserve their professional relationship with agents. However, the customer depends on you for an honest and thorough report. Do yourself and your customers a favor: don’t be afraid to kill a sale with the truth.

#4: I Don’t Have Time for Email and Phone Calls

Buying a home is one of the most stressful ordeals that anyone can go through. If customers can’t depend on a return call or email, their stress multiplies. You might also get fewer and fewer referrals and a reputation for poor communication.

Some inspectors choose a certain time of day for communicating with customers. However you fit in those calls and messages, communication shouldn’t slide to the bottom of the priority list.

#5: The IRS Will Never Know How Much Money I Make

If you work for yourself, who could possibly know how much money you earn for performing home inspections? Without an employer who reports to the IRS, you might cut your tax duty down to almost nothing, right?

The retirement plan for tax evasion is pretty poor, so don’t risk fudging the numbers. If bookkeeping and taxes aren’t your strong suit, hire an accountant to set up a system file your taxes or both.

Working for yourself is part of the American Dream. But starting and operating a solid, above-board home inspection business isn’t easy. The more difficult route takes effort. In the long run, however, it pays off in a reputable business that gets a little stronger every year.

It was the best of summers, it was the worst of summers. It was the age of maintenance wisdom, it was the age of foolishness. Two identical air conditioners manufactured on the same day have completely different fates when left to the responsible or neglectful care of the homeowners who install them.

With good care and maintenance, air conditioning might still be operational in 15 years or more. Without it, energy consumption will spike along with repair bills while the system’s life expectancy circles the drain.

As a home inspector, you’ll find all manner of good and sketchy air conditioners. They all began their life full of promise, but here’s how ownership can affect the outcome.

Chapter 1: An Air Conditioner is Born

All same-model air conditioners are virtually indistinguishable from each other when they roll off the assembly line. They’re clean and bright, have a full refrigerant charge and are ready for at least a decade of service.

Some arrive at big box home improvement stores. Some find their way to HVAC installation contractors. They all find a home with a new owner who may, or may not, give them the care that they need.

Barring production defects and faulty parts, every air conditioner that a manufacturer produces has a similar life expectancy. Routine maintenance and environmental factors separate one from another, but performance issues don’t often creep in during the first year of service.

Refrigerant leaks, however, can happen at any time, even immediately after installation if there’s a defect with the unit. The Department of Energy says this is one of the most common failures.

Caught and repaired early, the unit probably won’t suffer more damage. But if the homeowner adjusts the thermostat without trying to find the problem, the whole system will work harder to compensate. In year-one, the lifespan of a new air conditioner might already decline more quickly than one that’s tended to.

Chapter 2: Is Seasonal Maintenance Really a Chore?

After the end of the first (and every) season, air conditioners need a little attention before shutting down for the winter. It’s not complicated, but our neglectful homeowner skips the chore and starts a chain of events that shortens the system’s lifespan. When the new season starts the following year, the air conditioner might still be in fine condition, or it might already show signs of neglect.

How difficult is it to remove a dirty air filter and replace it with one that’s clean? Not very, at least for most residential air conditioners. Scheduling a seasonal maintenance appointment is just as easy, but that might also go overlooked.

Without maintenance in the early years:

Stuffy smells in the home Allergens in the air Slightly higher electricity bills Dust buildup inside and outside the unit

With seasonal maintenance:

New air filters minimize dust and allergens Wiring connections stay firm Early defects are spotted and corrected Utility costs stay lower

Basic maintenance is so simple, it’s hard to imagine why some homeowners let this job slide.

Chapter 3: What’s That Noise?

Uh oh. A few years after installing a new air conditioning unit, our neglectful homeowner notices early, noisy signs of poor performance, such as rattles and hums. Barring unusual circumstances, the homeowner who keeps a clean filter in the unit and schedules regular maintenance usually enjoys good operation.

When filters aren’t changed and maintenance doesn’t happen on time, small problems such as a loose wiring connection and dust buildup can branch out and become bigger issues. Maintenance is cheaper than repairs. That’s why homeowners take good care of their property and don’t slack off.

Inspectapedia says these and other noises can creep in without good maintenance:

Grinding sounds Rattles Hums Bangs Knocks Chirps

Persistent noises with responsible A/C maintenance:

Lawnmowers humming outside Birds chirping Kids playing Chapter 4: Life’s Good Until it’s Not

Several years after installing a new air conditioning unit, homeowners might still have a reliable appliance or one that’s nothing but trouble. Again, maintenance is the key.

For our responsible homeowner, years of regular cleaning and care have rewarded them with a comfortable home, reasonable utility bills and a relatively fuss-free system. Repairs might pop up occasionally, but they’re more often limited to small issues instead of major system malfunctions.

As for our neglectful homeowner, several years of A/C ownership might put them back at square-one: shopping for a new unit. Humidity grows more and more difficult to control. Adjusting the thermostat lower might result in a cool home, but it’s probably also clammy. It’s an expensive drain on the utility budget, too. Short cycling causes the system to switch on and off too quickly to extract humidity. It also causes rapid wear-and-tear, according to Energy Star.

Five or six years without maintenance:

Noisy operation Short cycling Unit housing corrosion Refrigerant leaks Odors inside the home Humidity problems indoors Mounting repairs High utility costs

Several years later with good maintenance:

Minor issues with each regular maintenance call A little corrosion that’s repairable Occasional repairs, such as sensors, fan blades or drains Reasonable utility costs

At the end of a decade with what started life as a bright, shiny new air conditioning system, our two homeowners face very different futures. One can plan and save for a few years to buy a new air conditioning system. The other will probably face the major expense of a new system several years sooner than they should.

Slacking off on maintenance equals wasted money. Small problems that weren’t corrected have probably grown into significant repair issues, which means your home inspection customer might face a big expense soon after moving in.

Tending to basic maintenance, such as replacing the filter regularly and having a seasonal checkup, keeps our responsible homeowner’s system in good working order. As long as your customer keeps fighting the good maintenance fight after move-in day, they’ll have several more years of service from a 10-year-old unit instead of coming out of pocket right away.

Most residential air conditioners are built to last 15 or more years, but that’s with proper care. You’ll probably inspect newer homes with systems that look ancient. You might also inspect many that look and perform like new, even though they’re at least 10 years old. Maintenance, or lack thereof, can make the best of summers or the stuffiest, smelliest and worst of them.

If the area where you work has depressed neighborhoods and vacant homes, you could find another opportunity to grow your business. Property inspections that protect the bank’s interest can be a lucrative side gig, especially when your usual home inspection work is a bit slow.

Home inspections and property inspections are different. Where a home inspection usually takes at least a couple of hours and costs a few hundred dollars for the customer, property inspections are quick and the pay is low. But a certified home inspector could handle a few of them in a day and do a better job.

If that piques your interest, here’s what you need to know.

Capitalize on the Pressing Need for Honest, Reliable Property Inspectors

Although the housing market is still improving, every town has areas where depressed properties linger on the market. A vacant home is a classic invitation for vandals, squatters, but a property inspector can help keep those problems in check.

Unfortunately, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) says the property inspection process “needs improvement.” That’s according to an FHFA report on pre-foreclosure property inspections.

One problem with the current system is a lack of trained property inspectors. Another is that some inspectors either misrepresent the property condition or falsify reports and doctor property photographs without visiting the house in person.

Communicate with Lenders, Your Attorney General and Real Estate Agents

Property inspections differ from home inspections on several points. Where a home inspection customer is usually a buyer or homeowners, a property inspection customer is typically a lender or another interested party. A home inspection happens just before a sale or at any time when a homeowner wants a checkup, but property inspections happen when a home is moving toward foreclosure or it’s already there.

Lenders, real estate agents and your Attorney General all have an interest in the condition of vacant properties and the performance of property inspectors. They’re a good place to start when sourcing property inspection work. So are national and local property inspection firms.

The job might include these and other points, depending on who hires you to perform the work:

Is the house vacant? What’s the general condition of the house? Does it need repairs? Is the property maintained (such as cutting the grass and removing rubbish)? Has the property condition changed since the last property inspection?

FHFA says some property inspectors may also find work in maintenance. Abandoned and otherwise vacant homes need winterization, lawn care, and other maintenance work.

Perform a Better Service and Make a Name for Yourself

According to FHFA, the “industry is largely unregulated.” There are no federal laws for property inspections and most states don’t regulate them, either. That leaves the industry ripe for charlatans who see the work as a way to make a quick buck as well as unqualified inspectors with good intentions.

As a certified home inspector, you could bring experience and ethics to a niche industry that needs both. But prepare yourself; the pay isn’t what you’re accustomed to.

Huffington Post says a typical property inspection pays about $20, which is significantly less than a general home inspection. But the scope of work is much smaller, as well.

In areas with an abundance of vacant homes and homes headed into foreclosure, you could perform several inspections in a day. In depressed areas, you might have many such homes in the same neighborhood. And over time, your customers will come to know you as a reliable, trustworthy contractor who protects their interest.

When home inspection work is slow, or even when it’s not, property inspections can serve as another way to branch out, do something good for the community and build a name for yourself. The industry needs more qualified people like you.

It always seems to come down to dollars and cents. In real estate, there’s a bit of a trend to pluck agents from the home inspection process. It’s viewed as a “waste of time” when agents could be productive in different ways. That’s unfortunate for home buyers, who have too few advocates in the process as it is.

Without an agent at their side, your home inspection customers may be a little more vulnerable than before. They might not attend the inspection at all. But that also opens up a new opportunity for you to serve the community.

Real Estate Brokers Want Agents More Focused on Money-Producing Tasks

One of the key drivers behind fewer buyer agents attending the inspection is the attitude of the broker. According to Anthony Askowitz at Inman, there’s a growing trend away from being there for the buyer. Instead, brokers want agents busy with tasks directly related to the bottom line.

It’s the corporate way. Customer service is sometimes sacrificed in the name of profits. But is that really the best approach for the long run? Many buyer agents think not.

Sellers Have Advocates Coming out of the Woodwork

In another Inman article, by Andrew Wetzel, the author asserts that the buyer’s agent should always attend the inspection as it’s part of customer service. Commenters on that article, most of them agents, are split on their opinions about attending or not.

Some seller agents even stated their belief that they have a right to access and review the inspection report and discuss it with their client. That’s disconcerting, as the buyer paid for it. Once again, advocates emerge for sellers while buyers have fewer people on their side.

Certified Home Inspectors Have a New Customer Service Opportunity

If a home buyer’s agent does all of the paperwork but offers no support for their client in the home evaluation process, the only person left to help them is you. That’s not entirely a bad thing. Home inspectors are uniquely positioned to provide facts about the property, not shined up opinions that tug at emotions, which are a time-tested selling tool.

Remember, the buyer’s agent gets a share of the commission on a successful sale. But in your role, you can reinforce the buyer-centric value of home inspections and boost the reputation of the home inspection industry in the process.

Certified home inspectors always work for the customer who pays for the inspection. In most cases, that’s the buyer. The trend away from buyer agents attending inspections creates a new opportunity for you.

Build a reputation as an industry thought leader. Get active in social media. Write regular blog posts that inform the public about home defects, which ones they should be afraid of, which ones aren’t such a big deal and the costs involved with repairs and replacement of defective systems. Educate the public and you’ll build a reputation as a buyer advocate. They’re the ones you want to attract in the first place, so it’s both helpful for them and good business for you.

Home inspectors are seekers of truth, whatever the truth might be. If there’s a defect, you’ll find it, document it and furnish your customer with the details. As a certified home inspector, your report is the tangible result of your good work. It’s sometimes the only unvarnished opinion about the house that your customer is about to buy.

You might think that your reporting style is as good as anyone else’s, but are you sure? Here’s why the report is so important and how to up your game if your style needs a little boost.

Inspecting Gets the Attention but Reports Last Forever

The home inspection industry puts a great deal of emphasis on the process of carrying out a home inspection. How do inspectors work? What do they look for? Do they open closets and shimmy through crawl spaces?

With so much focus on the inspection, the report is still the real star. It’s the product of navigating attics and walking roofs. It’s the written representation of the house from top to bottom, which customers can read, reflect on and revisit whenever they need to. With a solid reporting style that’s informational and easy to read, customers get the information they need without unnecessary confusion and worried phone calls.

Ironically, though, many inspectors enter the field with little or no report writing training. Working RE magazine says, “Most of us are not trained and experienced as technical writers, so although we know a lot more about houses than our clients, we may not know more about writing.”

Defect Information is Already Confusing; Reports Should Clarify It

Reports should be written with their intended audience in mind. Some details about material defects are complex and confusing. If you were chatting with another inspector, you might use industry terms and jargon. Some home inspectors pack reports full of it, but your customers need something a little more straightforward.

Conveying technical information to laypeople takes skill. The goal isn’t to oversimplify or “dumb down” your findings, but to clarify them. Working RE says the inspector’s job is to make the report and everything in it easy to understand.

If your reports read like a trade magazine, you might need to practice plain language writing. IEEE Professional Communication Society says plain language is effective communication that’s geared toward the audience, not the content of the message. Check out before and after examples of effective communication at plainlanguage.gov.

Home inspection reporting software can undermine your efforts to write great reports or it can support them with simple operation, intuitive design and a report style that looks great in digital format or printed out. It can tether you to an office or set you free to work in the field and send reports without ever plugging up to a computer. That’s what Report Form Pro offers in a simple app.