Why don’t homes come with owner’s manuals? Because we would not read them anyway----actually, I think we would. Even my run-of-the-mill Jeep Cherokee came with a 248 page owner’s manual----I have to dig it out twice a year to figure out how to change the clock----so I know I use that one. Given that homes generally do NOT come with an owner’s manual, what do agents do to prepare home buyers for what it means to own a home? Is the buyer expected to know all this stuff themselves? Is it the inspector’s job? If neither the agent nor the inspector does it, is it: “Tough luck?” I have had buyers on an inspection that did not even know that the furnace has a filter----let alone that it needs to be maintained----and where the heck is it located? Who tells them, if there is a screened air intake for the furnace that it has to be maintained free of debris? The average house has MANY things like this that need vigilant maintenance in order for the house to perform properly. I can't tell you how many times I have asked the buyer if the house has a crawl space or not----and half the time they either do not know or think I mean the attic. Some home inspectors attempt to turn the Home Inspection Report itself into a sort of “beginning” Home Owner’s Manual-----others are not interested. Some think that the ONLY things that should be in the report are the “defects.” Some agents think like this as well and are critical of home inspectors that have reports with more than 30 pages. If the report is also trying to provide information about how to actually take care of the house as well as whatever defects are found-----it can easily get to 60 pages or more. The best place to provide information about how to take care of the furnace for example, is in the furnace section of the report----not some hand-out that also talks about 20 other types of furnaces----or is so mimimal as to be useless. The inspection report----coupled with the many instruction manuals associated with the various appliances in the home----can amount to a pretty complete owner’s manual for the home. Ultimately when one buys “anything” it is our responsibility to educate ourselves as much as possible as to what is involved with that purchase. I do think that we as inspectors and agents bear some of the responsibility to educate our buyer. I also think that we are being a little lax when we have an opportunity to inform and do not do it. Pointing the buyer in the direction of the information seems easy enough to do. It seems to me that if a buyer were to visit ten home inspector websites and read An adequately prepared buyer at a home inspection is the “exception” rather than the “rule.” I have to assume that agents in general feel very little responsibility toward getting buyers to a point where they are ready to own a house. If this were not the case would there not be a lot more home buying seminars than we see? Most of the home buying seminars I have been to, seem to be more about how to deal with mortgages and financial matters than the home maintenance part of the purchase----geared more toward how to buy a house, than how to own a house. Also if this were not true I would see a lot more adequately prepared buyers following me around the home----and they would know “why” they are following me around the home. This is a tremendous opportunity for them to find out what their house is all about----not just its defects----but about how the house works. I think many buyers, if they were truly educated about what it takes to own a home, probably would opt for NOT owning a home----at least at that point in their lives. Perhaps, it is this concern that supports keeping the buyer a little in the dark about it all. And of course later, when the buyer’s remorse sets in, and the learning curve begins, we can at least feel good that the Inspector got a job out of it and the deal closed. Charles Buell
Some home inspectors provide home maintenance manuals along with the inspection report. These home maintenance manuals are generally “OK” for what they are, but they usually have way too much information about all kinds of houses----not just what is applicable to the house being inspected. In my opinion no one is going to wade through these manuals trying to figure out which information applies to their home and what does not. 
the sample reports on those sites there would be a lot less buyers with that look of a “deer caught in head lights.”
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Charlie,
Since many of the agents have to drive clients from here to eternity and spend huge amounts of time with them, the only payoff being at closing, that might be a factor all right. Convincing someone that he or she is not cutout to have a house might, in theory, be nice but it would lead to an agent becoming an unpaid public servant. Now, if the way the pay structure was setup was changed, now that would probably make a difference, although I do not hear anyone suggesting that.
Can you find ten inspector web sites with sample reports? :)
I have been told by repeat customers that my report was used as a "to do" list. While this may not be in and of itself and owners manual, it did serve as a guide to repairs and maintenance.
Being that you and I are "handy" and obviously a bit more knowledgeable about homes than your average home buyer, you may be setting you expectations a little high. Some people are completely clueless about maintenance issues associated with home ownership. While I think most would seem to have some idea there will be things that needed to be done to keep the home running. We as inspectors should be providing some education in that area, but ultimately I believe it is up to the buyer to educate themselves.
Steve, interesting "dilemma"
Jim, I agree. But the "clueless" need some guidance so they know when and who to call for the maintenance they are not able or willing to do themselves. Take the furnace filter----if they are not capable or willing to change/clean the thing as necessary they need to know how often they need to call someone in to do it for them.
I've often told buyers that the inspection they now have in hand is a good place to start learning about home maintanence. And I know many agents who send out news letters which occasionally have hints like "Go outside in the rain an see where the water in your downspouts is going." But if an one doesn't wnt to learn, you can't make him.
The other issue for agents stemming from an inspection report is, what is considered routine home maintenance and what is truly a hazard that needs to be addressed. I so appreciate the reports that delineate that. It may be that the buyer still asks for some of the maintenance items to be addressed, but at least they know that it is routine maintenance and will be on-going for them, too.
Glenn, for sure----you can take a horse to water but it is hard to make it drink.
Lisa, it is always important to differentiate the concerns in the report. Typically it is the stuff in the summary that gets involved in the negotiations----sometimes other things depending on the buyer.
Charles - When I was a home builder I did write and distribute an "owners manual" to my customers. I also provided a beginning home maintenance tool kit and a few supplies. Not only did it help homeowners learn about required maintenance, it helped me avoid unnecessary calls.
Wise post. I like the Home Inspector who provides a starting point for maitenance. A nice thing about the internet is you can find something on most components of your home, if you think to look.
John, I think the reason it does not happen more often is because most houses----especially custom houses----are so different it means a lot of work for the builder to put it together----specific to that house.
Gene, yes, with the Internet there is almost no excuse to not be informed about most anything. Learning how to "filter" it all is what becomes important.
I talk to my clients, all the time, about keeping records and receipts for what we may call a maintenance owners manual, Some do, most don't...
Is Sunday your day of rest?
Paul
Paul, to answer your question----life is a series of sprints----I rest when I get a chance :)
Oh Charles- I wouldn't read it. I'd put it in the drawer with the manual to the stove, frig, washer, water heater, lawn mower ect...
There if I need it, but I prefer to read about murders myself.
Charles, great post! I keep all manuls in folders in my laundry room and have referred to them often...I also keep maintenace records.......My last clients were absolutely the best when it came to maintenance records...they had them ALL.
Tammy who doesn't? :)
Rebecca----good job! I can pretty much find all my house's stuff like that too.
This is such a good post Charlie. The home inspector cannot and should not be counted on to inform the buyer about all the ins and outs of home ownership. A report is not a punch-out list, not a primer for a manual to follow, etc.
Once I had a buyer ask me for a list of all the things in the house that had been recalled. I get how many, 4, 5, 6, more CPSC recall notices every day! A list? I say, "How about you look it up? It would be a great thing if all homeowners would take that bull by the horns."
Our thing is a snapshot view of the house and not much more. It might be something of a start, but not much more.
My report cross references into our book, which IS a homeowner manual. And a sample of my report and book IS on my website!
Jay, the home inspector for sure is headed down an "interesting" path if they think they can deal adequately with recalls :)
Hi Charles, I really do look to you and your peers to produce that manual to some degree and let my buyers know they are fortunate to have the information, but who knows how well they accept it or remember to consult it in the future. By the way, I was so proud of myself for remembering how to change the time on my Jeep recently. I thought I'd have to go to the manual for sure. Take care.
Frank, more and more my reports are headed in that direction. I know there are inspectors that don't want to do this and that is OK----there are all kinds of "business models" out there :) I suspected there would be others that might relate to the car clock story.
I wish my house had come with an owner's manual. It was only 6 months old and the sellers took every appliance manual and any other directions on how to operate stuff with them. I still don't have one of my garage doors able to open with a control(They took that too)! There's always so much to do.
Very kindly,
Croakster
Lizette, most things like that if you take the Manufacturer and the Model number and put them in Google you can find the installation instructions/owners manuals online.
Croakster, that just proves there is a house that suits everyone.
One of the reasons I give (especially for my first-time single-family-home-buyer) for hiring an inspector, is because they typically go through the entire property with the buyer, and show them how all the systems function, what they do, and how to maintain them properly.
That's worth the price of entry all on it's own.
Alan, yes---typically I think most buyers realize they have gotten their money's worth even before they get the report.
I'm with you. We stopped giving out home maintenance books many years ago for the same reasons - I don't think anyone reads them, and it just started to feel 'gimicky'.
Reuben, I am with you on the "gimmicky" part. Either they are too generalized to be of any use or too all encompassing to be useful
Charles-
Excellent Article. Good Job.
Rich
Thanks Rich, seems kind of like a no-brainer doesn't it?