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How to Do A Home Inspection

How We Started
I originally started the Erudite Publishing Company in 1998 as the owner of a small general contracting firm in northern Illinois for the purpose of informing the general public of how to do their own home inspections. With calls coming in regularly to do home inspections it was taking time out of the working day to look throughout a house for the obvious. Although the money was good, it was hard to believe someone would pay me to tell them what was wrong with a house.

The Truth About Most Home Inspectors
That was until I saw how other home inspectors did (or didn’t do) their jobs. I was appalled by the lack of knowledge and total dishonesty that “professional home inspectors” demonstrated. Since the home inspection business started in the northern Illinois area, I have never had a new client call me to do a remodeling estimate without showing me a problem with their home and asking if a home inspector should have caught it. YES, that rotted sill is so big you could throw a cat through it. YES, that puddle of water at the bottom of a basement wall crack means something. YES, the burn marks in the attic are trying to tell you that there was a problem here.

Why I Create The Do-It-Yourself Home Inspection Kit
I found myself with very unhappy homeowners and a great dislike for so called “professional home inspectors.” The more I looked into home inspectors, the more I found their reputation to be slightly lower than a used car salesman. Because of this, I removed myself from the home inspection industry, but at the same time felt a responsibility to the home buyers to inform them of a way to protect themselves from a preying business. It seemed so simple to me, but I knew what to look for. So I made a list of items to review, along with a step-by-step home inspection checklist to follow. Every time a friend or member of the family would buy a house, I would give this to them to tell me what needed to be rewrote, or made easier to understand. After a couple of years of refinement, and presto, a “do-it-yourself home inspection guide.” No magic, just a common sense guide to doing your own home inspection. Or if you like, a guide to what a home inspector should be looking for. The choice is yours. Don’t hesitate to click here for more info on How to Do A Home Inspection. I believe this will give you more information. Also you can e-mail questions to Info@EruditePublishing.com.

Carpenter Placement Test

I Was Angry! I Hated Hiring Losers that that Couldn't Do the Job!
Another problem, I found to be a pain, was hiring competent carpenter help. The construction field has become a huge series of specialized fields. Unfortunately, it is also a melting pot for some of the worst reputable employees in any business. I had a small shop of a dozen men. It took years to weed out the incompetent. It seemed a lot of carpenters could talk the talk but stumble quite a bit when it was time to walk the walk. I wasn’t there to teach, I was there to do a job. On the job is not a place to find out who knows what.

The Grueling Interview Process
Enough was enough. The phone calls that came in from help wanted ads, the appointments, interviews and checking with old employers to find out if a prospective employee knew what he was talking about, all took an enormous amount of time out of a week, not just a day. Although phone calls are hard to eliminate, it can be the first step in reducing the rest of the procedure. Resume’s tell you a little bit like you who the prospect has worked for. But, the ex-employer by law can’t tell you anything negative. So you are at square one! I needed some way to use my time more efficiently. After all, that’s what I expected out of my crew, why not me?

An Idea of Genius! Why Not Create an Exam to Test their Carpentry Skills!
I developed The Carpenter Placement Test as a way to find out just what an applicant knew. I found that the first few tests were too challenging, and nobody was passing them. After all, doesn’t everyone know what the shear strength of a 16d nail should be? Most of them didn’t know what the d next to the number 16 meant. Besides, I found that I was happy enough that my men knew what a rough opening was. So I revised the test and re-revised the test again. And then revised the interview process.

When I talked to prospective employees on the phone, they were told when they came in to fill out an application, that they would also need to take a test on their knowledge in the construction industry. That’s when the excuses started to fly. “I’m going out of town for a week.” “You won’t be able to read my writing.” My favorite excuse was, “can I take it home with me and bring it back when you have more time?” The true professionals didn’t have a problem with taking the test. I figured if I was getting excuses before I even met the person, then I certainly didn't want to hire that person for the job. I hope you'll look at the Carpenter Placement Test to find out more. I believe this will give you more information, and help satisfy your curiosity. Also, you can e-mail questions to Info@EruditePublishing.com.

Essential Business Forms for Business Contractors

As I was running my business, I found that I needed business forms to make various aspects of my business run more smoothly. But when I went to look where I could get those forms, I saw that they wanted to charge me hundreds of dollars. That's when I said "enough is enough" and decided to make my own. Essential Business Forms for Contractors provides the items you need to run your business.

Click here for more information on Essential Business Forms for Contractors. Also you can e-mail questions to Info@EruditePublishing.com.

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Erudite Publishing
PO Box 1176
Lake Villa, IL 60046
Email: Info@EruditePublishing.com

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