A home inspection is one of the most important steps that we take during the home buying process. A home inspection is required to help you get an idea about what you are investing in. In a home inspection, the licensed home inspector evaluates your future home and provides you with a status of the current condition of the house. A home inspection is definitely a lifesaver but if you don’t choose the right licensed home inspector for the home inspection it could turn out to be a disaster. It’s not hard to find a licensed home inspector who could help you with home inspection but it’s tricky to find a reliable one in the market full of amateurs.
If you are a first-time buyer, you might not be familiar with what to look for in a home inspector or even know how to pick the right inspector, here are a few things you can ask them to determine if they are the right home inspector.
What is their qualification?
It’s important to know the qualification of the home inspector you are planning to hire. Check if he has background knowledge, certification, and some on-site internship or not. It’s always better to hire an inspector who goes beyond basic knowledge.
What’s their experience?
Though experience alone doesn’t specify the expertise of the home inspector it’s always safe to know about the years of experience they have under their belt.
Are licensed and location certified?
Make sure to ask them if they are a certified home inspector. If they are having a certificate from The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), which is one of the oldest and most respected associations, that’s definitely a great thing.
How long would the inspection take?
A thorough home inspection takes around 3-4 hours for a standard house. If the estimated time they tell you in any less than that it means they are not planning to inspect your house that well and they are not the right home inspector for you.
The number of inspections they have performed?
Ask them so far how many inspections they have performed, the more inspection they have done, the more professional and reliable home inspector they are.
Could you provide a sample home inspection report?
Just to make sure you are getting the right home inspector make sure to check their previous work and ask them for a sample report. If the report includes brief notes of defects around the house and pictures etc to make it all up, you are definitely getting on with the right home inspector.
How much would home inspection cost?
Ask them upfront about their charges. Usually, home inspection varies from $300-$900, depending on the area of inspection. Ask them to provide you with the entire fee structure, this way you’ll get to know what you are paying for and you’ll be able to dodge all the hidden costs if there are any.
Can you accompany them during the inspection?
There are many queries asked during home inspection so the ones who want to quickly wrap up the inspection ask the buyers to stay back. So, if your inspector is insisting you come to the site, they are probably a reliable home inspector.
A home inspection is conducted so that you could easily settle in the house without worrying about a thing and it must be done by someone professional. So, while looking for a home inspector, do your own research that way you can make an informed decision.
