Questions to Ask Before Hiring a NJ Home Inspector
Other than hiring the right agent hiring the right New Jersey home inspector is the most important decision of the home buying process. Hiring a poorly trained or inexperienced home inspector can cost you thousands of dollars, even tens of thousands in unforeseen repairs and untold heartache. This decision should take center stage and be a top priority. A poor hiring decision here can be extremely costly.
The first thing a home buyer should do is speak with the NJ home inspector directly. I know we live in the age of smart phones and auto-scheduling where we can book inspections online. However A LOT can be learned from speaking directly to a home inspector on the phone.
The first thing to assess is whether you can actually speak to the inspector on the phone... or are they not available or unreachable? If you can't get the home inspector to speak to you as a prospective client, then how available will that home inspector be after the home inspection when you have questions or concerns? You want to hire a home inspector who will be available before, during and after the home inspection to answer any questions you have.
Once you have a New Jersey home inspector on the phone, assess how patient they are. Do you feel rushed or is he willing to answer all of your questions in a calm and respectful manner? Are the answers to your questions well communicated? If the inspector is not able to communicate effectively with you on the phone, they will likely not communicate effectively with you in the field while inspecting the home, or after the inspection.
While speaking with the home inspector, get a feel for your comfort level. Is this someone you can trust? Your home inspector should be knowledgeable, smart and have high integrity. Additionally, he should be friendly and kind, willing to speak with you at length about the home you're buying and your concerns or questions about it. If they rush you off the phone, they'll probably rush through your home inspection too. You don't want this! A rushed NJ home inspector will miss problems in the home you are buying.
If you feel comfortable at this point, start the phone interview by asking these questions.
What is your experience?
A NJ home inspector should want to talk about their experience in the home inspection field. Home inspection is both a science and an art. Book knowledge alone does not cut it here. The right NJ home inspector will have the right level of experience. When I say experience, I mean many years of solid home inspection experience. I'm not talking about a few years of doing two or three “checklist-style” inspections a day. Many years of thorough home inspections under a NJ home inspector's belt means they have experienced thousands of defects in homes. A NJ home inspector becomes proficient and professional by doing very thorough, detailed home inspections... years and years of them. Every home inspection is an opportunity to learn. If an inspector has fewer than 5 years experience or has done under 1,000 home inspections, they are not seasoned enough and have not been exposed to the number and types of defects that would make them effective. I was confident and proficient after an apprenticeship plus at least 5 years inspecting over 1,000 homes. This is the minimum level of experience I would accept, but more is better.
States vary in their licensing laws. Currently in New Jersey a potential home inspection candidate has to take only 180 class hours of training and observe 16 home inspections with a licensed home inspector. Yes, they observe home inspections, not perform them. Are they kidding me? So, you are going to hire a NJ home inspector who went to school on weekends, crammed in 10 learning modules and then watched 16 home inspections? This is frankly a joke. A student after completing this is just not ready to perform professional home inspections. There is zero chance that someone right out of school or with little experience is ready to perform a home inspection that will protect your interest in the home you are buying. Buying your home is the largest, most important investment you'll ever make. Homes today are incredibly expensive and there is too much at stake to hire a neophyte home inspector.
How long will the home inspection take?
You do not want a NJ home inspector who does two or three home inspections a day. Your home inspection should be a minimum of three hours for an average size home, for the home inspector to thoroughly inspect the entire home and all of its systems. Sometimes a good inspection will take over four hours depending on the complexity of the home. If you ask the inspector how long his typical home inspection takes to perform and the answer is 90 minutes or two hours you should run, not walk away. I have done thousands of home inspections and they take time to do the right way. This is an extremely important question to ask so please don't skip this one. The bottom line is that a longer home inspection equates to a more thorough inspection with less missed items, period. The longer the inspection, the better protected you as the buyer will be. Don't let this one slip by. Ask the question.
What type of inspection report do you provide, and can I see some sample reports?
There are home inspection reports out there that are complete garbage. Checklist-style reports are trash. Do not accept them. What you want is a comprehensive narrative report including photos and explanations of each defect. Reports done on-site are trash. Do not accept them. I know it may seem convenient when a NJ home inspector can print out a report on-site and hand it to you, but this type of report actually signifies a big red flag. It is not possible to effectively perform a thorough home inspection, answer all the clients' questions, take the required photos, tailor the report specifically to the home and properly document all defects within the time frame of the inspection. The truth is that a report done off-site where the home inspector can sit down to review and think through each problem that exists in the home is going to blow away the quick report done on-site. That is just fact. Over my 20+ years as a home inspector, I have read hundreds of different inspection reports and the ones done on site are just not good. Don't fall for the marketing scam of a report handed to you at the end of the inspection. A thorough inspection report created for you with in 24-48 hours is the sweet spot.
Can I accompany you on the inspection?
You get the most out of your home inspection when you attend and observe what the NJ home inspector is doing, hear his evaluations of what he is inspecting, and have your questions answered. A home inspection is a learning experience for the buyer, and that learning cannot occur if the client doesn't attend. So, if you ask if you should attend the home inspection, and the inspector prefers to do the inspection alone, say, “No thank you,” and find a more professional home inspector. You need to be able to attend your home inspection it's that simple and that important. It's certainly easier on the inspector if you do not attend but that is not what the inspector should be concerned with. A home inspector's only concerns should be to protect your interest in the home with a thorough and effective inspection, and your complete satisfaction.
Will you be available after the home inspection to answer any questions I may have?
This is a very important question. Your home inspector is an integral part of your team. You don't want them to disappear once the inspection is over. Make sure your home inspector understands that you expect him to be available to you after the inspection to answer any questions and to clarify any findings.
Will you help me put together a list of major issues that I will ask the seller to fix?
An experienced NJ home inspector should be able to help if you should need it to decide on the major issues found in the home. Which defects should you ask the seller for a credit or correction on? Some home inspectors will not assist with this. However, a highly experienced home inspector should have vastly more experience in interpreting what is major and what is not than a real estate agent or attorney. Your home inspector can be invaluable partner here, and I would suggest finding a home inspector who is willing to help, if needed, with this very important part of the process.
What associations are you a member of?
This one is important because you want a NJ home inspector who is committed to continuing education and professional development. There are several home inspector organizations and associations. ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) and Inter-NACHI (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors) are two of the largest organizations that have requirements for certification. When a home inspector is certified by one, or better yet certified by both, at least this tells of a minimum threshold of commitment to learning and development. So yes...hire a home inspector who is certified by either ASHI, Inter-NACHI or better yet, both.
Do you enter crawlspaces or narrow attic openings?
This is another telling question. If the home has a crawlspace or narrow attic opening, will the home inspector enter that area? Do not be afraid to ask this. Some home inspectors will not or cannot enter these spaces and that is a detriment to you. If an area cannot be entered it cannot be inspected and thus there can be problems in that area that are not reported on. Make sure to ask the inspector if he will try to enter all areas that are larger than 24 inches of vertical clearance and 30 inches of horizontal clearance. These are NJ home inspection regulations. If the answer is that he will not or cannot enter those spaces and your home has such a space, you may want to look elsewhere.
The home inspector you hire is one of the most important professionals in your real estate purchase. Be sure to properly interview them to determine if they're experienced, professional and conduct thorough home inspections with integrity, making them the right fit for you. Don't settle for any home inspector who is not going to catch all the major issues in the home. Doing your thorough due diligence is paramount here. Take the time to ask the right questions and hire the right NJ home inspector.
John Martino
LookSmart Home Inspections
NJ Home Inspectors Lic # 24GI00058700
Board Certified Master Home Inspector
American Society of Home Inspectors (ACI) #244472
International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (CPI) # 200090933
NJ Radon Lic# MET 11963
Commercial Pesticide Lic. (Termite Inspection License) # 27811B
Certified Mold Inspector
5 Preston Ave
East Hanover, NJ 07936
973 407-9621
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