Tools make the man; this adage is true when it comes to property inspection and management. These items improve the integrity of a property inspector’s report and give the interested home buyer a better idea of the property they are about to purchase. With this in mind, a lot of home inspectors keep their eyes peeled for the latest property inspection tools. Better equipment helps them stay ahead of the competition and gives them an upper hand in performance. Thus, it’s no surprise that these experts are often seen lugging around bulky utilities.

With better efficiency and thoroughness in mind, home inspectors tend to carry bigger items at work. Equipment items such as a crowbar, tape measure, drill, hammer and a screwdriver are regulars in a home inspector’s bag. In addition to that, a professional inspector also carries cameras, tablets and laptops to record findings for a more detailed report using a management inspection software application.

A Closer Look at the Tools of the Trade

There are different kinds of tools that needed for these professionals to perform their inspections accurately and safely. The Burlington Home Inspector website describes the many other utilities a home inspector may use for property management and inspection. Listed in the site are basic hand tools, smoke tools, illumination, ladders, electrical tools, heating system meters and moisture meters. Also included in the long list are utilities for pressure, airflow and surface temperatures—all hinting at the meticulousness of this trade.

Gearing Up For a Safe Inspection

Home inspectors are not only required to bring an extensive array of tools to a property assessment; it is also crucial that they are dressed appropriately for their own safety. The International Association for Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) reports that aside from protective clothing, a few more equipment items are necessary to ensure that they will be able to access different areas securely. One of these items is a respirator. This item is crucial to anyone entering areas containing materials that may release hazardous particulates into the air. Gloves and safety glasses are also essential when working with electrical components.

The Three Essential Property Inspection Tools

The number of materials commonly carried by a home inspector is quite contrary to what the InterNACHI has disclosed. In a post written by Nick Gromicko and Kenton Shepard, they claim that property inspectors only need a few types of equipment; two, to be exact. One is a flashlight to guide their way, and the other is an electrical tester which can be used to test ground-fault circuit interrupter devices. These are the basic items which can help an inspector perform an overall assessment of a house, without the bulk of other equipment.

Another technical development making home inspection easier is the arrival of the property inspection program. A modern approach to furnishing a clear report is to use management inspection software which can be downloaded to a smartphone and accessed as an app. With smartphones incorporating powerful cameras and microphones, inspectors can record a property’s full account without bringing their laptops.

These three items are the basic tools for the modern home inspector, but bringing other utilities also helps in the integrity of an inspection. It is important that an expert knows what works best for him in determining what he should carry.