At my client's request I've spoken with a seller on the phone one time to establish the seller's version of a repair that had been made. I included the essence of the conversation in the report to document that the conversation had taken place.

Other than that though, I contact the seller every time they're there during the inspection. I engage them in conversation and ask them a thousand questions. They either lie or they tell the truth. Either way it provides a service to my client by either memorializing the lie or, through the seller's words, by identifying problems with appliances, their effort to eradicate bees, or a finicky door that's only finicky in the fall. "the current owner stated that the dishwasher makes a funny noise about every third time it's used"

I'll also engage the nosy neighbor to ask about their basement and if it gets wet...stuff like that. "The neighbor to the north stated that every fourth or fifth year there is standing water in most yards on the street during the spring thaw"

Usually the client has purchased a day or two of my life. I'm there anyway, I might as well do the best job possible. Why wouldn't I ask the people that know the most about house, questions about the house?

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Chad Fabry, Rochester, NY
StructureSmart Home Inspections, Inc.
www.structuresmart.com