The premier source for home inspector news and information. Whether you're a homebuyer or a licensed home inspector, you'll find valuable insight on the world of home inspection training and competency on this blog.
We are careful when we choose a car mechanic or a CPA, but how careful are we when choosing a home inspector? While it's possible to recover from a botched car repair job or an IRS audit, purchasing a home with serious defects can impact your bottom line for years to come.
The Dallas Morning News recently published a great checklist for people to follow when evaluating a home inspector. The checklist gets right to the heart of choosing a quality, experienced home inspector.
The home inspector checklist includes:
Locating the right person: word of mouth information is always the best way of learning about great professionals -- ask your friends and family about good home inspectors; you should also ask your real agent if they can recommend a particular home inspector.
Research: Make sure that the home inspector has a track record of professional service. One place to research their professional history is at the Better Business Bureau -- they can tell you about any past complaints against the inspector. Some states require a home inspector to have a license; if your state requires a license, ask for the inspector's license number and then check with the state to see if it's valid.
Education and training: You want someone who has received a quality home inspection education. Ask them where they went to school and what kinds of certificates the have, along with questions about the nature of their home inspection experience.
Inspection scope: Ask the home inspector what parts of the home he/she will inspect: ask about the roof, the swimming pool and appliances, or anything else you're concerned about or would like to see addressed.
Checklist sample: Ask to see a sample of the home inspection checklist that he/she will use when going through the home. See whether it is a thorough form that will allow the inspector to write up a detailed report or if it a simple, amateur form.
The final report: Find out how the inspector will deliver the final report to you. Will it be emailed, faxed or mailed? Ask if the report will include photographs of the home's defects.
References: There's nothing like talking to an old customer to get a sense of what kind of home inspector the person is. A professional home inspector should be willing to share a list of former customers with you.
Insurance: Sometimes mistakes happen, so home inspectors may have E&O (errors and omissions) insurance, which will help pay for any liability issues that arise as a result of the inspection.
Money: Price, of course, is important. You probably pay a little extra when hiring a car mechanic or a CPA -- use the same approach with a home inspector. If you choose a "cheap" home inspector, you might just get what you pay for.
Customers, who are curious what home inspectors study when they are training, can search the Internet for 'home inspection school' and then scan through the sites to learn about the kinds of training that schools require of inspection students.
Labels: home inspection education, home inspection school, home inspector, home inspector checklist
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home Inspector Blogs