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How to Find a Good Home Inspector

By
Industry Observer License #035626

Once you have found the right house, you have the funding, and the seller has accepted your offer, you should have it inspected before you close the deal. The reason that you should do this is to prevent you from finding on down the road that the home has some major defects.

A home inspection will normally cover an examination of the air conditioning and heating systems, electrical systems, plumbing, attic, roof, floors, walls, ceiling, visible insulations, foundations, windows, and basements. Make sure that the home inspector gives you a report on their findings. If there happens to be any major defects, you need to consider requesting that the seller fix the defect or to lower the price and let you fix the defect. Before you decide to fix it, you should know how much it is approximately going to cost.

Before you make the offer on the house, you should have something written into the offer that if the home inspector finds major problems you can cancel your offer if the home owner does not want to fix them. Most contracts have an inspection clause standard. A home inspection may cost you a couple of hundred dollars, but it is worth it in the end if it keeps you from buying a home with a major defect.

To make sure that you are finding a good home inspector you should find out just what the inspection covers, and how long that they have been in the home inspection profession. You should also make sure you ask just how many houses they have inspected to guage their experience.

Make sure that they are experienced in home inspections. You should also ask how long the inspection will take to complete. For a home inspector, it should take between two and four hours for a single family house. If it takes them less time they may not do a really thorough inspection. Ask them if they find any major defects will their company do the repairs or improvements. If they say yes, then they are operating against the ASHI Cod of Ethics.

Of course, you should find out what they charge for the inspection, which should be in the range of three to five hundred dollars. It depends on the area, how big the house is, and many other things. You should also ask for references and make sure that you contact them. Be there on inspection day so you can see just what they find.

Posted by
It’s A Good Life!

Bruce Swedal 

Comments (2)

Will Handley
Progressive Inspection Service - San Juan Capistrano, CA
Certified Master Inspection Services

Good info Bruce.  I recommend the buyers be there for the entire inspection process.  In many cases the buyer has only been in the property once or twice and for only a few minutes.  Being present for the inspection gives the buyer an opportunity to really look the property over.  I bring a tape for the clients to measure rooms, think about furniture placement and of course ask me any questions they feel relevent.

It's also advise-able to have the seller not be present during the inspection process.  This allows the buyer, inspector, their agent and any other contractors they've invited to the property to speak candidly without influence from the seller and or dealing with defensive issues many sellers experience when there home is invaded by the buyer and inspection crew...

 

Aug 03, 2011 04:16 AM
William (Bill) Zoller
U.S. Inspect, LLC - Loveland, CO

Well, that pretty muchs sums it up.  Your numbers and suggestions are right on.  There are a lot of home inspectors out there, many good, some not so good.  When dealing with a single proprietor inspector, I'd ask for references. Make sure your inspector is an active member of a professional organization like NAHI or ASHI, then go to that internet site and confirm.  There are inspectors that will tell you they belong to NAHI or ASHI who are not current with dues or training CEU's.

Aug 12, 2011 03:51 AM