In Part One, we discussed why inspecting, and talking, is so much easier than report writing. But why is report writing so hard? That’s what we’re talking about in this post, and we also explain how you can make report writing much quicker and easier for yourself with a report writing system, such as home inspection software.

So, why is report writing so hard?

It’s one-way communication. You get one chance to make it right. There are no do-overs.

There is no feedback, no chance to see whether your client understands your message. Without engagement, there is no conversation, no common ground, no connection, and no relationship. Compared to the inspection experience, a home inspection report is cold and distant.

The format of the written word can be distracting. If your message is sound but it’s poorly worded and there are spelling errors, it can distract the reader and destroy your credibility.

If the presentation is unprofessional, awkward, or difficult to read, your message may not get through.

As time passes after the inspection, people’s memories fade about you, your hard work on site, your friendly professional approach, and the great conversation you had. If there are issues down the road, clients will pull out the written report and that’s all they will have to go on.

The weakest part of your performance is the most durable. The written report is your legacy, whether you like it or not.

Most inspectors don’t like writing reports, and begrudge the time they spend doing it. It’s human nature to minimize the time you spend on things that are painful. As a result, most home inspectors don’t spend enough time writing and proofreading reports.

A day in the life of a home inspector includes an inspection performance at the beginning when you are fresh, alert, and ready to take on the world. The report writing is the drudgery that you are punished with after the adrenaline of the performance has worn off and fatigue sets in. Most home inspectors spend the same amount of time writing reports as they do performing inspections. The inspection is exhilarating; the report writing is draining.

Inspectors know that it is their report that they have to rely on when people question their findings down the road. That adds to the stress of writing the report.

Sometimes the tools get in the way. If the report writing system or software is clumsy or awkward to use, is unreliable or inconsistent, it’s not only frustrating, but it distracts from the task at hand and often results in a less-than-ideal finished product.

Better tools make the work go more smoothly.

We believe a report writing system should provide the solution rather than be part of the problem. After writing 150,000 or so reports, we know what makes life easy and what presents a challenge. That’s why we’ve crafted our system to simplify report writing, enhance consistency, and provide tools to make sure you don’t leave anything out, and don’t get the words wrong.

We know that a picture is worth a thousand words, and believe you should use visuals to get your message across. A good report writing system makes that easy.

We have worked hard to reduce the amount of time writing reports, to minimize the pain while maximizing the quality. We understand that if you do 300 inspections a year and we can save you 15 minutes per report, that’s 2 working weeks added to your life every year!

For more information on how to simplify report writing, click here.