Seller's Guide

Hello and please let me introduce myself. My name is Brian Paull and I own Premier Inspection & Consulting. The prospective buyer of your home has contacted me to perform an inspection of your home prior to purchase.

I am a licensed home inspector in the State of Wisconsin. I have over 40 years of construction experience and over 10 years of home inspection experience. While the buyers are my clients, I take the responsibility of treating your home to the same standard and respect which I would expect someone to treat my own house. I do not wear my "outside" shoes in your home. I strive to leave everything as I found it and return the settings on items such as thermostats to the same position as I found them. Occasionally it is possible that an item such as a GFCI device may not be located to reset. I do ask that you check these items when you return home after the inspection to assure that they are all operating. If something gets overlooked, please accept my apologies in advance.

My inspection will involve visually evaluating all areas of the house. This includes utilities such as furnaces and air conditioners, as well as electrical panels, just to name a few. I will also need to operate doors and windows and look into attic areas. If your home is still occupied, there are obviously going to be personal property items which may be stored in front of areas which I need access.

We are not able to move personal property. This occasionally means a return trip to the home after you have had a chance to remove your belongings from areas that need to be accessed.

The following is a guideline to help you prepare for the inspection. Please understand that if this were an inspection that was for your new home, you would want me to be able to do a complete evaluation.

1. Be sure that the home is accessible - Most homes that I inspect have a Supra lockbox. These are the lock boxes that are usually set near an entry door by a Realtor. I have an electronic key for these boxes. Some have combination lock boxes. I will need a code for this type of box to retrieve the key. If there are specific instructions for entry, please ask your Realtor to relay this information. If you are not using a Realtor, please feel free to contact me directly.
2. Pets - I have pets of my own and understand that most pets have the run of the house. It is best if you can arrange for your pets to be out of the house for the inspection. I know that this is an inconvenience, but inspecting a home is a job which takes considerable attention to detail which can be interrupted by pets. Thank you for understanding.
3. Access to furnace, water heater and electrical panel - As I mentioned above, I do need to access your utilities for inspection. This means I need to be able to remove access covers to inspect them completely. Please move personal property from around the furnace, water heater and electrical panels, as well as the areas around sump pits, pressure tanks and water softeners. Most local regulations require a 3 foot open area in front of electrical panels.
4. Access panels - Some homes have one access panel for an attic area. Other homes may have multiple attic areas as well as access panels for crawlspaces or things like whirlpool tubs or outside hose shut off valves. Please remove all personal property from in front of these access points. I do need to get into the attics. Some access panels lift off cleanly and some drop insulation when removed. That means that if shoes or clothing is left under the opening there is the potential of having insulation fall on them. I will do my best to clean up after myself, but sometimes a vacuum is needed to finish the job.
5. Let me know if there is a problem with anything - Sometimes there are little things like leaks in drains or dishwashers. If you are aware of any issues that may cause damage if operated, please leave me a note. It is best if you leave a note on the kitchen counter and then one at the site of the problem so we do not miss the note. Since I inspect the exterior of the house first, any of these issues at the exterior or in the garage should be conveyed to me in advance of the inspection.
6. Any specific instructions - If you have any special requests such as receiving a phone call when I am finished or any specific instructions on doors to lock or leave unlocked, once again please leave me a note.
7. Radon testing - My client may have requested that I perform testing to determine the radon levels in the home. This will be done at the lowest level the client will use on a regular basis whether finished or unfinished. You will see a small white machine sitting on a table plugged into an electrical outlet. There will be no lights or no indication that the machine is on, but it will be running and collecting air samples. This device does not affect humans or animals. It does have sensors to determine such things as movement or temperature changes. Please do not move the unit. Also, please read the instruction sheet I will leave at the house. This will instruct you to keep doors and windows shut except for normal entry and exit and not to use any whole house fans or exhaust fans except for normal operation. Opening doors or windows or operating any of the above mentioned fans can cause the readings to be affected, sometimes higher than it would normally be if the instructions are followed. This monitor will operate for 48 hours and then shut itself off. I will need to get back into the house to retrieve the test. This is normally set up between the Realtors, but if needed, you may contact me directly.
8. Seller attendance at the inspection - The inspection that will be done is generally for the prospective buyer. It is best if the seller does not stay for the two and one half to three hours the inspection will last. They buyer will want to discuss certain aspects of the house with my and we do need to be able to talk freely. I know that this is an inconvenience, but I sincerely thank you for understanding.

Please understand that the buyers are my clients and I have a contractural duty to not disclose any of the inspection results with anyone not designated by the client. I often get asked by sellers whether I found anything they need to know about or how the inspection went. I will have to let you know that I cannot discuss it with you. Don't read anything into this thinking there are major issues. It is simply a State requirement that I am required to follow.

I want to thank you in advance for all of your cooperation. I am sure that your prospective buyer thanks you as well. If there is a need to contact me, please refer to the contact page.

Brian Paull
Licensed Home Inspector
Member ASHI, INACHI, WAHI
Certified Building Science Thermographer
Certified Mold Inspector
Certified Mold Remediation Contractor
Certified in Radon Measurement
Certified in Radon Mitigation
Licensed State Rental Weatherization Inspector