We reached out to the creator of the account and the founder of Boston Home Inspectors, Inc., James Brock, who has seen pretty much everything in his line of work. As a business, they are proud of their reputation for thoroughness. They believe that a half-hearted inspection serves no one and put all of their focus on identifying the problems and putting them into proper perspective.
When asked about the inspiration behind the account, Brock told us that the idea was suggested by his daughter when they were out for pizza one day in 2016. "She had been on many inspections over the years to earn some spending money," he said.
"She gave the idea that I should post some of the funny things that we find during the inspections." The thought might have sounded strange at the time, but he decided to try it out. Ever since his first post, the account has grown and reached more than 16.4k followers who enjoy seeing bizarre things the inspectors find every day.
When it comes to choosing which images to post on social media, there’s plenty of worthy material out there. The home inspector has captured more than 1500 pictures of questionable scenarios and objects left in plain sight while performing check-ups. Out of those, he has created a library of more than 200 images ready to be shared with the people of the Internet.
If you think that’s quite the number of missteps that owners do in order to improve their homes, that’s not even half of it. "There are many funny, crazy and scary things we find that just do not photograph well so we miss out on those," he said.
Brock does not want to overwhelm his followers, so he decided to post only one picture a day. The inspector told us that he did not intend for the account to become a place to lecture people on the things they shouldn’t do but rather "wanted the account to be light and funny for the viewer". It’s the place where people can go and relate to the images as homeowners and feel glad that their homes do not look like that.
The home inspector also enjoys reading the replies of his audience: "Many of the viewers have a great wit and sense of humor. I often find myself saying 'Oh, I wish I would have thought of that comment to write'."
The industry experts are interested in the content James Brock shares, too. He mentioned that sometimes he receives emails from other home inspectors or tradesmen saying "you failed to mention this problem in the background". But the creator has a lighthearted view on such remarks and replies that "this Instagram account is not a written full-fledged report" and shares a few laughs with his colleagues.
A new home might be one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make and sometimes you can make some costly mistakes. Especially if you don’t know where to look. Having your house professionally checked by a structural inspector might give you information about certain defects that will save you thousands of dollars.
#10 "Okay Move Along, Move Along People, There's Nothing To See Here!" Only 46 Air Fresheners In The House!
The experts not only check the main things like structure and exterior of the house and the basement but also windows, doors, fire hazards, appliances and outlets. They find the areas that cause concern and provide the information to the client. As they state on their website, "At the end of the inspection, the inspector will review the detailed report line-by-line and discuss the findings and recommendations. You will have a better understanding of the investment you are about to make."
Just remember that your home requires regular maintenance and yearly inspection. So if you wish that pictures of your house do not end up on the Boston Home Inspectors Instagram account, make sure to check the things lurking behind the walls, under decks and in the ceiling. And if you need help, don’t hesitate to contact a professional tradesman who can give you a list of the things you should focus on.
