Buying a home is a lifetime investment. To get the best value for your money when buying a home, you need to be extra careful and take all the necessary measures. One such measure is hiring a home inspector.
Whether you are buying a house or a condo, it is vital to know in advance the state of the property you’re about to buy. Home inspectors will inspect all aspects of your home and give recommendations concerning the home.
Choosing a home inspector is a vital aspect of the home buying process. The home inspector that you choose will have a huge impact on how satisfied you will be with your future home.
Your home inspector will tell you everything you want to know about the home you want to buy. Their ability to spot potential problems is vital as it will help you make an informed decision.
After all, buying a new home should be a joyous experience, not the one that leaves you with regrets.
With the many home inspectors claiming to offer excellent home inspection services, it can be challenging to choose the right person to inspect a home for you. In this post, you’ll find seven tips that will help you choose your home inspector wisely. Read on and learn more.
1. Get References
One of the ways to find a good home inspector is to ask for references from different clients who have engaged with that inspector before.
Let the customers tell you about their experience with the inspection company. Ask how knowledgeable the inspector seemed and the kind of report they gave. A good report should be comprehensive and easy to understand.
Talk to many references as you can to get a clear picture of what to expect. This will help you in making an informed decision.
2. Bonding and Insurance
Regardless of whether you are engaging with an established entity or an individual inspector, be sure to confirm whether they are bonded and insured. So be sure to ask about this during the interview.
There are some areas where home inspectors can conduct a home inspection without insurance. The problem of hiring uninsured inspectors is that you or the homeowner might be held liable if they are injured during the inspection.
3. Ask Whether You Can Accompany Them During Inspection
A good inspector will allow you to come along during the inspection process. But why is this important?
First, it shows that the inspector is knowledgeable and that they have nothing to hide. Secondly, this allows the home inspector to educate you about current or potential problems.
It also allows you to ask questions and get answers on the spot. This will help you understand what you are getting into.
4. Experience and Certifications
It is also important to know how long the inspector has been in business. Ask them how many inspections they have done and whether they have taken any specialized courses.
It’s important to ensure that you hire someone who does inspections full time as opposed to who does it as a side hustle.
5. Ask Questions
Before hiring a home inspector, inspect the house yourself and note down any potential problems you can see. You can now go ahead and find out the things that your inspector can or can’t examine. Once you have a basic idea about the state of the property, ask for a sample report and review it carefully.
If there are things that you need checking but aren’t on their list, ask whether they can include them and at what cost.
If the inspector is not qualified to do them, look for another inspector, or hire additional professionals.
6. Contract Signing
Another critical thing to look for when hiring a home inspector is whether they can offer a written contract. Signing a written agreement helps protect you from fraudulent inspection practices, as it lets you know exactly what to expect from your home inspector.
Be sure to read the contract document as it clearly explains what the inspector will and won’t do.
It also shows who will take responsibility in case something goes wrong.
7. Cost
You surely don’t want to spend more than you should for home inspection services. You should shop around and compare the prices offered by different companies.
However, when comparing, be sure to enquire what each company does during an inspection.
If an inspection company is offering more and better services than the other, it doesn’t hurt if they charge more. As much as you’ll want to save money, make sure that you hire a home inspector who will do an excellent job.
