Are point-of-sale onsite system inspections required in your state or county? The trend in requiring system inspections to validate real estate transfers offers more and more homeowners protection from unexpected costly repairs before they make the purchase. And with homebuyers stepping out to make the biggest purchase of their lives, that’s how it should be.

Granted, general point-of-sale home inspections remain an optional – if not prudent – way for buyers to protect their investment in the major purchase of an item with a lot of costly moving parts. But the decision to disregard the value of a home inspection for such things as the condition of the roof, furnace and foundation puts only the homebuyer at a financial risk. Let the buyer beware, is the common caution.

But I would argue ensuring proper onsite wastewater treatment is a public health issue, and one where a homeowner’s neglect can cause harm to a next-door neighbor or an entire community of nearby residents. A failing septic system can threaten the groundwater of many surrounding neighbors, and pathogen-laden effluent bubbling to the surface is a public health nuisance.

Whether or not homeowners in your area are required to seek out presale onsite inspections, as a professional you know conducting such inspections is a sound decision. But traditionally, consumers only seem to reach out to you when symptoms of a system failure emerge and the toilet won’t flush. How do you get people to act outside of crisis mode and reach prospective homebuyers when your service can best protect their financial interests?

SERVICE BEFORE THE SALE

The stakes are high for homebuyers and for your long-term service reputation, so getting the word out is worth the effort. Here are a few steps you can take to market for point-of-sale inspections:

Advertise

The next time your community has a home show, rent a booth as some home inspectors do and promote your area of expertise. Explain to potential customers how an onsite professional can make a more thorough and accurate assessment of their wastewater system than a general home inspector. Take out ads in the local weekly newspaper or on a home improvement or real estate radio program promoting the value of presale inspections. Target an educational flyer distribution in neighborhoods of modest homes where homeowners may be contemplating a step up to a bigger house.

Offer a homebuyer’s special discounted inspection that trades some of your immediate profit for the potential in creating long-term customer relationships. Establish a trust with a homebuyer and you will reap the rewards in maintenance contracts now and repairs or replacements when they are needed.

Educate

Offer a free class covering the proper care of septic systems through your local health department or county Extension service. Drive home the message that a system inspection is a smart move for would-be homeowners and not just for those who’ve owned a house for years. Be sure they understand the potential costs of repairs or system replacement and the health risks associated with neglected, failing systems.

Your company website is a great place to expand consumer education efforts. Populate your website with content explaining in detail how onsite systems function, including graphic drawings and photos that demystify the series of underground pipes, tanks and pumps. Let homeowners know the steps they can take to care for their systems for the long haul. And tell them to consider a presale system inspection when they put their current house on the market and look to move up to their next house.

Inform real estate agents

Unfortunately, it seems local Realtor associations are most responsible for fighting point-of-sale initiatives as they arise. I would characterize their now-predictable objections as knee-jerk reactions as they fear a small number of delayed or unrealized commissions from home sales. My view is their efforts to derail presale inspections are shortsighted and don’t help them appear as professionals who want to work in the best interest of buyers and sellers.

That said, there might be some room for valuable partnerships between real estate companies and onsite professionals. Get together with local Realtors and offer to bring agents up to date about the latest onsite technologies. This will give you an opportunity to calm the fears of agents who may always have a worst-case-scenario mentality about point-of-sale inspections. Explain that many repairs are minimal and will cause barely a hiccup in the sale process. Remind them that a thoroughly educated homeowner benefits the real estate sales community in goodwill and long-term happy relationships with buyers and sellers.

Network with home inspectors

You may already cross paths with home inspectors in your area. Why not explore working together to make sure prospective homebuyers receive the best advice on all components of a house they’re considering for purchase? Some home inspectors may feel comfortable assessing onsite systems while others may not. And the more complex and expensive these systems become, the more receptive home inspectors may be to seeking your professional service to augment their own.

Here’s a strategy to consider: Suggest a tiered presale inspection service with offerings tailored to the needs of individual homeowners. A basic service for a home using sewers obviously wouldn’t need your expertise. If the home in question uses a traditional gravity system with a tank and drainfield, the inspector may want to handle the inspection alone. A more comprehensive service could be offered to the buyer of a home with an advanced system or one with challenging site conditions, where the home inspector might like to have you on hand as an onsite expert. Offer the home inspectors an incentive to utilize your service and then establish a relationship with the buyers after the sale.

A PUBLIC SERVICE

When the onsite community promotes point-of-sale inspections, everyone wins. Homebuyers and sellers iron out any issues ahead of a sale to avoid contentious legal issues later. The real estate sales community proves it cares about being a thorough advocate for customers in these biggest-of-all transactions. And the onsite inspectors/installers create goodwill for the industry one house at a time.