Learn Five Things You Must Know To Avoid Hiring The Wrong Home Inspector!
1. Education & Training & Experience:
Being a contractor is very different from being a Professional Home Inspector. Home Inspectors are responsible for evaluating all of the systems and components of the home — not just one aspect, like the brick or the framing. To be able to provide a competent evaluation of all of these elements takes formal education and training. Did the inspector attend one of the top home inspection schools like The Carson Dunlop Home Inspection Certificate program?
It takes a full time inspector at least 50 inspections to start to develop the eyes, ears and nose for hunting down problems. Part-time home inspectors simply don’t have the time in the field to develop that radar. Be sure to ask how many inspections the inspector conducts annually and how many years he/she has been doing them.
2. Certifications:
While certifications are certainly important, it’s the combination of Experience, Education and Training that make the difference in the competency of your next home inspector. Certifications let the world know that the inspector can pass a test not that he can inspect a home properly. We all know people who are certified for one thing or another that we wouldn’t hire under any circumstances. There is simply no substitute for experience and proper training.
Please follow this Link for a list of Jeremy Goodmurphy's Qualifications
3. The Inspection Report:
The top home inspectors in today’s business don’t produce handwritten reports. Technology has evolved where you should expect to receive a full-color report, with digital photographs of the issues discovered during the course of the inspection. The report should provide “Summary Pages” with specific categories like Major Concerns, Safety Issues and Deferred Cost Items, etc.
The report should not contain repair costs or action plans for repairs. Professional home inspectors inspect — they don’t repair! An inspector that makes repairs should always be avoided due to the conflict of interest inherent in that situation.
Ask for a sample of an inspection report so you’ll know what you can expect for your time and money. After all, you are the client!
Please follow this link for A Sample Inspection
Report from HOMEEXTENT
4. How Long Has The Inspection Company Been In Business:
Is the inspection company locally owned and operated or are they some far away faceless corporation where no one is monitoring and evaluating the quality of their work? If you are dealing with a multi-inspector firm, how long has the inspection company been in business?
5. Ask Your Lender For A Referral To A Quality Home Inspector:
The lenders sole interest in the transaction is seeing that You get a quality home that’s right for you and your family!