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Summer 2022 COVID-19 UpdatePosted by Nicole on July 2nd, 2022

Summer is FINALLY here! Not much has changed in the world of COVID-19 except for different variants and more people are not masking. Infection rates remain high (higher than the official numbers show due to at-home testing) and I am still not willing to take risks when it means I won’t be able to work if I become infected. The following safety policies will help ensure everyone’s safety.

*Masks (must cover nose and mouth) and a minimum of 6 feet of distance from me will be required for everyone indoors with me, even if fully vaccinated.

*Buyers are welcome to be in the home, I just ask that you consider limiting the number of additional guests, especially in smaller homes. This includes contractors, who are also required to wear masks when indoors with me. I am willing to cancel the inspection if anyone refuses to mask.

*A slideshow/review of the home inspection will be done virtually. This works best given the limitations of distancing and masking (and my voice that simply does not carry).

*Contactless contract signing and payment will be done online (via DocuSign & Square). I normally send these 1-4 days before our inspection. Receipt of both are required in order to proceed with the inspection.

*I prefer to open doors and windows (weather permitting) while I’m inspecting the interior. Please consider this when scheduling testing with other companies.

*As always- for safety and in order to remain focused, I do not allow anyone to follow me during an inspection, but I’m happy to answer questions when I’m finished inspecting and/or during the slideshow.

Hope to see you soon!

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Summer 2021 COVID-19 UpdatePosted by Nicole on August 12th, 2021

With vaccination rates continuing to slowly climb but the delta variant in full force, here is an update on my current COVID-19 protocols. I will continue to modify my policies as the situation evolves. I am taking into consideration daily infection numbers/hospitalizations, new/more contagious variants of the disease, and state/CDC recommendations… but my own comfort level will take precedence. I also invite you to check-in with your own comfort level and revert to more strict requirements for our inspection if you feel the need!

Until further notice, the following safety policies ensure everyone’s safety. These policies are subject to change, so check this page or ping me for the most current policy.

*Masks (must cover nose and mouth) and a minimum of 6 feet of distance from me will be required for everyone at the inspection, even if fully vaccinated.

*For homes that are larger than 1000 square feet: A real estate agent and no more than two buyers (+children) can be indoors with me at inspections, but no other family members/friends/occupants indoors, please. (That’s a maximum of three adults other than me indoors.)

*For homes less than 1000 square feet, I prefer two or less adults indoors with me.

*A slideshow/review of the home inspection will be done virtually. This works best given the limitations of distancing and masking.

*Contactless contract signing and payment will be done online (via DocuSign & Square). Normally I send these 1-4 days before our inspection. Receipt of both are required in order to receive the final report.

*I prefer to open doors and windows (weather permitting) while I’m inspecting the interior.

*For safety and in order to remain focused, I do not allow anyone to follow me during an inspection, but I’m happy to answer questions when I’m finished inspecting and/or during the slideshow.

I still offer generous discounts for apartment-style condos in order to keep the cost reasonable. Additional mileage fees apply to some outer suburbs. For my latest pricing, call or text me: 503-913-1281.

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COVID-19 Update from Home GnomePosted by Nicole on March 18th, 2020

Yes, I’m still inspecting and testing for radon! I’m doing everything I can to prevent the spread of the virus while still providing services as best I can.

  • Only one other masked person is allowed inside the home at the same time as me. I require at least 6 feet of distance at all times. Others are welcome to wait outside or join in the slideshow later in the day.
  • I wash my hands and/or use hand sanitizer as often as I can when I’m on an inspection.
  • As always, I wear booties. I also wear gloves inside the home.
  • I use disinfectant wipes on all surfaces I touch to keep both myself and the occupants/sellers safe. I may use disinfectant spray as well.
  • In place of the slideshow on site, I now do a virtual slideshow later the day of the inspection. 
  • I also disinfect my car, all of my tools & equipment (including radon testing equipment) at the end of and/or before my inspections/radon tests.
  • I am not currently inspecting fixers, bank-owned, cash only or distressed properties.

Basically, everything I touch in homes gets disinfected!

As you can imagine, these precautions take a bit of extra time, so for now I am suspending my same-day report delivery guarantee. It’s possible (and even likely) that you’ll receive the report later that same night, but I can’t guarantee it.

Thanks for your patience while the world feels so surreal! If you have any questions about my process or want to discuss further, please contact me. Stay healthy!

[This post was last updated on November 13, 2020. Check back for any changes.]

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How Detailed Should Your Home Inspector Be?Posted by Nicole on February 9th, 2020

If you’ve had an inspection with me, you’ll notice that my reports are quite detailed. I inspect and report on each home as if I were buying it myself- what would I want to know before I make the largest purchase I’ve ever made? I’ve been told by many real estate agents that my reports are the most detailed and thorough they’ve seen. I am a Type A personality, so this doesn’t surprise me (I take it as a compliment). What does surprise me is how many important details other inspectors seem to miss or not even report on. I’m saying this from personal experience- I had two home inspections before becoming a home inspector myself. I’ve also seen reports for the exact same property that I inspected, making it easy to compare my report to another inspection company’s report. Although I’m obviously biased, the things that are missing from the other reports are too important to ignore. 

For instance: I test as well as check the manufacture dates on every single smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm whenever possible. Why? BECAUSE ALARMS SAVE LIVES! Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are required both by law and by your lender to be installed in a real estate transaction. Knowing that the sensors on these alarms become less sensitive over time, don’t you, as a buyer, want your home to be as safe as possible? 10 years is the life of a smoke alarm; 5-7 years for carbon monoxide alarms. Alarms that are any older need to be replaced. I am adamant in my inspections about this. Furthermore, this simple thing is probably the easiest and most affordable requirement to fulfill in a real estate transaction, having (potentially) the largest safety factor. It’s a no-brainer.

Case in point: I recently inspected a newly constructed home- nobody has lived there yet… the paint was probably still drying. Any normal person would assume that all the smoke & carbon monoxide alarms are brand new, right? WRONG. Two of the six smoke alarms in this home were 13 years old– they’d been reused from another home when they should have been disposed of three years ago. Now, if I had assumed all the alarms were new because the home is new, I’m putting my clients’ safety at risk. This is just one example of the level of detail that I take a little bit of extra time to verify so that your home is SAFE.

Now… it’s possible that my inspections take a tad longer than the “average” inspector, but I guarantee that it’s worth it. Does that little bit of extra detail really make a difference? I believe it can mean the difference between (excuse the scare tactics- see above) life and death… and, well, that’s also a no-brainer. Don’t you agree?

The following are excerpts of inspection reports from the exact same house- one from a competitor and then Home Gnome’s report.

Competitor’s report- Heating System
Home Gnome Inspections’ report- Heating System

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