Bored Panda got in touch with James Brock from Boston Home Inspectors to learn a bit more about the field and the various things that go on in it and he was kind enough to answer some of our questions. Firstly, we were curious to learn more about the most common issues home inspectors come across.

“B—-y realtors…The most common issues are porch and deck items. Uneven steps causing tripping hazards, loose railings, twisted or deteriorated posts, undersized footings, rotted deck boards, missing ledger board flashing, and a deck pulling away from the house. Homeowners really should have their porches and decks inspected every other year for safety and condition by a professional,” he shared with Bored Panda.

“As home inspectors, our job is to tell the parents that their baby is ugly or has problems. A home inspection is also an invasion of their home by a complete stranger. We often say, "Would you let a friend you just met walk into your home and start looking in and moving clothes to the closets, look under your beds, look in your medicine cabinet, open your bathroom vanity and kitchen cabinet doors, and drawers?”

“This is the main reason realtors don’t allow the homeowner to attend the inspection. It would feel like a violation of your privacy. With that said most homeowners are pretty good with the fair assessment we give of their homes. The biggest problem we have is with builders who build and/or renovate a place and want to be there during the inspection,” he shared. 

“The builder always knows more than the home inspector and his ‘guys’ never make mistakes. On several occasions, I have had to request the manufacturer's representative to meet at the property to prove to the builder that for example the siding was not installed properly. I have one in a very expensive town, a new building that I flagged as the asphalt roof was not installed properly.”

“Many emails, text messages, and an attorney got involved threatening Boston Home Inspectors with a suit. We stood our ground, the rep came out…the $75,000 roof needed to be completely replaced. Improper underlayment before the shingles were installed. Buyer was happy.” 

While these examples are gathered from all over the internet, Boston Home Inspectors has also documented a decent amount of “questionable” building choices, which they have documented on their rather popular Instagram page. We have actually covered it in previous articles, which you should check out if you enjoy homes that really need some work. 

Naturally, we wanted to know why they decided to create this account. “When my kids were in grammar school, once a month I would pick them and a few of their friends up from school and take them for pizza. We had a few booths at the pizza parlor. I was sitting with my high school daughter and she was on her phone playing with this new app, Instagram.”

“Roisin suggested I take pictures during home inspections and post them and set the account up for me. I took it from there. My thought for the account was rather than posting pictures of me, everyone loves a good laugh or the ability to say..thank God that's not me, so that was my focus.” Since then, this Instagram account has amassed nearly 20,000 followers.

“I try to create a funny statement for each photo we post but enjoy reading others. People are so creative and funny. After reading theirs I say many times, I wish I had written that,” James shared, which is probably a good way to stay sane when you look at the things people have done to their homes. 

Lastly, we wanted to know if they had any last times for home buyers, from what to look out for to what they should do first. “Boston Home Inspectors highly recommend the buyer attend the home inspection and follow the inspector around. Besides looking for issues or problems, our job is to teach or educate you about the property or new investment that you will be making.”

“We place tags on very important items in your home, for example, the main water shut-off. We also show you how to change filters etc,” James shared with Bored Panda. You can find more of their work on Instagram and their official website. And if you want to see more horrible homes, check out Bored Panda’s other article on the topic.