Video property inspections

When a clip beats a photograph

A picture is worth a thousand words, but in a property inspection a short video can be worth considerably more. Sometimes, walking through a property, it simply makes more sense to record a few seconds of video than to take a photo and then write a paragraph explaining what the photo cannot show.

Three situations come up repeatedly: communicating with a tenant (the trick to lighting a temperamental stove, or turning a key in a stiff lock), explaining a fault to a servicer in a repair request, and capturing a condition that involves sound or motion, like a noisy fan or a dripping tap.

Short clips, deliberately

Inspection procedures should never produce one or two long meandering videos, which is exactly why zInspector limits clip size. A video should focus on a single area, room or system, and ideally on a specific detail within it.

1. 01Record against the detailStart the clip from the inspection point it documents, so it files itself correctly.
2. 02Keep it to one subjectOne area, one detail, one activity. A clip that covers four things is findable for none of them.
3. 03Take as many as you needThere is no practical limit on the number of clips, only on the length of each one.
4. 04Retrieve it instantly laterBecause each video is linked to its area or activity, finding it is a matter of navigating to the detail.

The payoff is months later

A specific clip focused on one area or activity provides far better documentation than an epic twenty minute walkthrough. You will never again lose an hour scrolling a hard drive folder or scrubbing through a long video looking for a condition you need to point to in a conversation with an owner or tenant, or when preparing for court.

Incredibly tedious becomes genuinely easy, which is the only kind of process improvement that survives contact with a busy week.

Common questions