Home Inspection Etiquette: What NOT to Do at Your Home Inspection

Inspection day is exciting. Your offer was accepted, you finally get to spend real time inside the house, and you're starting to picture where the couch will go. I get it, and I love seeing buyers this excited.

But here's the part a lot of people forget: until closing day, that house isn't yours. You are a guest in someone else's home. After hundreds of inspections across the Pittsburgh area, I've seen the good, the bad, and the "please put the toddler down off the kitchen counter." So let's talk about what NOT to do at your home inspection, and why it matters more than you might think.

To be clear: I want you at your inspection, and I want you asking questions. These tips are about making the day go smoothly for you, for the sellers, and for your deal.

First, Remember Whose House It Is

The sellers still own that home. They may still live there, sleep there, keep their valuables there, and pay the mortgage, the insurance, and the utilities you'll be using during the inspection.

In our area, this isn't just etiquette. Under West Penn Multi-List (WPML) Rule 5.10, a home inspector may only admit the actual buyers, meaning the people named as buyers on the signed sales agreement. That's not my rule, and it's not your agent being difficult. The sellers agreed to an inspection, not an open house, or a family reunion. Most sellers are already stressed, and a group of strangers wandering through their bedroom closets doesn't help.

Respect for the current owner isn't just good manners. You still have repair requests and negotiations ahead of you, and goodwill goes a long way.

Here's something many buyers don't realize: technically, the only person with permission to be at the property during the inspection is the inspector, not the buyer. The rule allows me to admit the buyers, but it doesn't require me to. I welcome you because I want you to see what I see, and that welcome comes with the expectation that you'll follow the guidelines below.

1. Don't Bring the Extended Family

Your mom, your uncle who "used to do construction," your three cousins, and your best friend's boyfriend all want to see the house. I understand. But inspection day is not the day.

A large group distracts the inspector, crowds tight spaces like basements and utility rooms, and makes it harder for me to walk you through what I'm finding. It also puts the seller in an uncomfortable spot, since they never agreed to host a crowd.

WPML policy limits attendance to the buyers named on the sales agreement. Out of town, or really want a partner, parent, or sibling there? There's a WPML Home Inspection Indemnification/Waiver Form for that, and here's how it works:

• Everyone signs. Every buyer, every seller, and each additional person must sign, or the waiver isn't valid.

• It's due 48 hours ahead. The completed form has to reach your inspector at least 48 hours before the inspection starts. Day-of requests can't be accepted.

• Your guests take on the risk. The buyers and their guests agree to cover any claims for injury or property damage during the inspection.

• It's good for one day only. The waiver covers that inspection date and nothing else.

• Your inspector can still say no. If so, they'll let your agent know before the inspection.

  
  

Ask your agent about the waiver early. Everyone else can see the photos when you share your report.

2. Don't Move Furniture, Appliances, or the Seller's Belongings

Please don't slide the fridge out to check the wall, pull the oven away from the cabinets, shift the dresser to see the outlet behind it, or dig through closets and cabinets.

Appliances are heavy and connected to water lines, gas lines, and electrical. Moving them can scratch floors, kink a supply line, or loosen a gas connection. If something gets damaged, the person who moved it will be responsible for it.

Home inspectors aren't required to move furniture, appliances, or personal belongings either. Our standards of practice are built that way to protect the seller's property. If something is blocking access to an area, I'll note it in the report so you can ask the seller to clear it, or have it checked before closing.

3. Don't Open Electrical Panels, Climb on the Roof, or Crawl Into Attics

I know it's tempting to follow your inspector everywhere. Some places are off-limits for good reason.

• Electrical panels. Removing a panel cover exposes live, energized parts. Inspectors train for this and use proper precautions. Please stand back while I have the cover off, and never remove it yourself. Doing so can put us both in danger.

• Roofs. Falls from roofs and ladders cause serious injuries every year. I decide how to evaluate each roof based on pitch, material, weather, and safety, and I often use a drone. Please stay on the ground and off my ladder.

• Attics and crawlspaces. These spaces can have exposed nails, open joists, loose insulation, pests, and ceilings that won't hold your weight. One wrong step can put a foot through the seller's ceiling.

  
  

Remember, if you or a guest gets hurt or damages something, that liability doesn't disappear because you were "just looking." I'll photograph everything I see and walk you through it, so you won't miss a thing.

4. Don't Leave Children Unattended (or Bring Pets)

An inspection is a working job site. Panel covers come off, outlets get tested, stairs and railings may be loose, and the house hasn't been childproofed for your family. Children can also break things in a home full of someone else's belongings.

Kids are curious, and an inspection is full of things that look like an adventure: a ladder leaning against the house, an open electrical panel, a furnace with its cover off. If children are present, they must be supervised by a parent and within arm's reach the whole time. It's not your inspector's job to supervise anyone, adult or child. My attention needs to stay on your future home.

Please leave your pets at home too. The seller may have pets of their own, or allergies, and accidents on their carpet are not the impression you want to make.

5. A Few More Don'ts

• Don't snoop. Medicine cabinets, dresser drawers, mail, and paperwork are private. Looking at the house is fine. Looking through the seller's life is not.

• Don't track in dirt, mud, or snow. Take off your shoes at the door or wear shoe covers, especially during a Pittsburgh winter. The seller will not be happy and may expect you to pay for the floors to be cleaned.

• Don't make yourself at home just yet. No napping on the bed, raiding the fridge, smoking, or using the seller's things.

• Don't talk negotiations out loud. Sellers sometimes have cameras or doorbell recorders, and a seller's agent may be nearby. Save your "we'll ask for $10,000 off" strategy for the car.

• Don't photograph the seller's personal items. Take photos of the house, not family pictures, valuables, or anything that shows how the seller lives or what they own.

• Don't pull the inspector away at every step. Questions are welcome. A running conversation while I'm testing a furnace or reading a moisture meter is how things get missed. I'll stop and explain as we go, and we'll do a full walkthrough at the end.

• Don't leave things different than you found them. Lights off, doors closed, and pets kept inside exactly as the seller asked.

  
  

What to Do Instead

Here's how to get the most out of your inspection without stepping on anyone's toes:

1. Plan your guest list early. If someone besides the buyers needs to be there, get the WPML waiver signed by everyone and to your inspector at least 48 hours ahead. You can ask for the form from you agent and they will help facilitate the needed signitures. The inspector eill need to sign it and have a copy for their records.

2. Bring a short list of questions. Anything you noticed during showings, like a stain on the ceiling or a sticky window, is worth asking about.

3. Show up for the end. If you can't stay for the whole inspection, the final walkthrough is where I explain the most important findings.

4. Let your inspector lead. Follow along, ask questions, and stay out of panels, attics, and off ladders.

5. Read the full report. The photos and notes in the report matter more than anything said in passing on site.

6. Treat the house like it's someone's home, because it is.

   
   

The Bottom Line

A home inspection protects your biggest investment. It also depends on the trust of a seller who opened their home to you. Respecting that trust keeps you safe, keeps the deal on track, and starts your relationship with the house on the right foot.

Buying in the Pittsburgh area? Fine Line Inspections LLC offers thorough, professional inspections from a Certified Master Inspector with ASHI and InterNACHI membership, drone roof evaluations, and PA DEP-certified radon testing. Every inspection includes a home warranty.

Call (412) 706-3140, email info@finelineinspects.com, or book at FineLineInspects.com.