Removing Shoes

[Will43]

http://www.shoecovers.net/

 

[Pittsburg_22_m]

I remove my shoes about 3% of the time tops. I'm a pretty good judge of whats dirty and remove them before the homeowner has to ask. The ones I usually run into where I'm asked to remove them, even though they aren't dirty, is the stuffy snob types. I go ahead and do it no biggie. When my new house is completed shoes are coming off too! lol

I don't wanna track dirt in people's houses any more than they want me to. Of course I don't do inspections on rainy days!!!

 

[Mister Ed]

This thread brings up an interesting story for me. We got a call from a mortgage broker that primarily handles higher end housing (usually $300k +) who was looking for a new appraiser.

Here is why. Their former appraiser would not take off his muddy shoes to go into a house that they were working about a $750k deal after he had been tramping through their flower beds. The borrower complained and almost walked away from the deal.

When told this story, I just laughed. I told him that he could rest assured that if the shoes are muddy they stay outside--no matter what (I have even taken a second pair on rainy days for such occassions). I assured him that if they lost a deal it would be one of two reasons--the subject's value was not high enough for them to make a deal OR they messed it up. I would make sure that they could NEVER say one of our appraisers was inconsiderate to the homeowner in ANY manner.

Out of about 300 orders in 12 months, they have indicated a desired value on maybe 20 orders (and never made an issue of it). ALL orders are COD, and if the borrower cannot pay for whatever reason, the LO comes to our office with CASH to pick up their copies of the report. I like that kind of business.

If offered a cool drink (it gets hot in the summer in Florida), I will often accept, but I usually keep a small cooler with icewater in my car.

Just my $0.02 worth
-ed-

 

[Mister Ed]

Originally posted by Brad Totman@Feb 15 2004, 06:46 PM
Of course I don't do inspections on rainy days!!!

If I chose to avoid rainy days, I would make less than 1/2 of what I make now. But I guess it does not rain as often in Kansas as it does in NE Florida (had 4 days straight this past week).

I just hate the pouring down in sheets rain... I have done it a couple of times, but really hate that. It was a matter of doing the job or the client loses a time-sensitive deal.

-ed-

 

[Michigander]

I hardly ever wear shoes in the house. Mine come off the minute I walk in the door of my house, and it is the same way with almost every house I inspect. As a matter of fact, I feel really weird wearing shoes indoors, and I can actually feel a lot of uneveness in floors and the like without shoes that would go unnoticed with shoes on. Guess it is my cultural bias though....

 

[Tony in Ohio]

I guess I got beat to the shoe covers comment, but I just about died when I saw the link that was charging $19.95 for 50 pair. I get mine at a local medical supply store for $50/3000. They are not really waterproof and I only reuse them if everything was really clean, but still...

Its a good bit of customer service, its cheap, and I dont have to worry if my socks have holes in them

 

[Tony in Ohio]

Oh yeah,

And they may say one size fits all, but a size 13 boot requires a little modification. still no big deal.

 

[Steve Wyrick]

I remove my shoes if it's been raining outside, always do the outside first, or if the owner has a dog and they have not cleaned the yard. Common courtesy.

Yes many of my farmers say no come on in, my response "Thank you but your wife will appreciate it."

We have a large plumbing company in the area, serves about 4 counties, they built their business on the motto "The barefoot plumber" Standing policy in the company if you go in the shoes come off, failure to do so, results in immediate termination.

Booties are fine, but pain the butt the put on and off, just make sure your socks are clean and not holly.

 

[David S. Roberson]

I hate holly socks. The little sticky parts hurt my feet.
Shoes still stay on here, or I will be glad to come back at a later date when I have a clean pair to change into with me.

 

[Steve Owen]

I sometimes change into an old pair of boots to do the exterior, then change back before going inside. I don't quite understand how you could do an adequate job of the data gathering process if you go inside before going outside-- if you can, more power to you, but I need the house dimensions first before I do the interior.

I've had a few homeowners ask me to do the inside first because of wet or muddy exteriors. I always tell them not to worry, that I won't get their house dirty, but I need to do the outside first.

I always make sure I'm not tracking anything in. If needed, I remove my shoes whether or not they ask.

One last thing. If I'm appraising new construction I always remove my shoes regardless of whether I think they are dirty or not. I don't want to be the one getting jumped on for getting the floors dirty after the builder has done their cleaning.