COVID-19 AND HOME INSPECTIONS

Things are crazy and unprecedented in the home inspection world. Last week brought some major changes to our everyday lives, and then came the “Stay-at-Home” order.  Changes are happening daily, and we are likely to see more. To answer the #1 question that our client care coordinators are being asked, “ARE YOU STILL DOING INSPECTIONS?”  The answer is YES. We’re still open for business, we’re still inspecting houses.

The new standard of care for home inspection attendance

I have always been a firm believer in customers attending their home inspections and up til event Monday this week, I felt that while we’d prefer our clients not attend, we didn’t want to prohibit them.  This all changed this week when the community was asked to follow a stay at home order.

I’ve been in close contact with several other large home inspection companies throughout the country as well as here in the Springfield area, and we’re all in agreement; the new COVID-19 standard of care is to have the home inspector perform the home inspection alone.   In turn, we will call our client immediately after the inspection to discuss our findings, and we’ll conduct another review with our clients after we’ve sent out our report.

We will implement this new plan immediately.  So far all of our clients and their agents have been very understanding of the situation. It warms my heart to know that people are so willing to adapt.

Safety precautions

While on-site, home inspectors throughout Missouri should be following these steps to help maintain a sanitary environment in people’s homes:

• Wash hands multiple times during every inspection, especially after touching things like faucets and door handles.
• Bring hand towels or paper towels for drying our hands.
• If available, keep hand sanitizer nearby and use it when needed.
• If available, use disinfectant wipes or the equivalent on faucets and door handles.
• If any inspectors have a fever or cough, do not conduct the inspection.

These steps apply to all home inspectors, chimney inspectors, radon technicians, and sewer inspectors.

Children

With schools closed and kids potentially being left home alone, it’s also important to note that no home inspector should enter a home without a second adult present. The home should be empty at the time of the home inspection.

Pets

Everyone on our team is pet friendly however not every pet is inspector friendly.  Remember to please put your pet in a safe area and away from the inspector.

We Are Here to Help

Mirowski Inspections will continue to monitor things on a daily basis, and we’ll adjust as needed or recommended to help ensure everyone’s safety.  ​ While, not having the buyer present goes against our normal business management practices we have a significant responsibility to do the right thing for the greater good of our communities. ​We understand that this unprecedented time can be overwhelming so please let us know how we can help make this part of your home buying and selling process more comfortable, we are here to help.