What to Look for in a Home Inspector

Frequently, many home buyers overlook the importance of the home inspection. If you’re financing the purchase of your home the inspection is typically going to be required by the lender before receiving final approval for the mortgage. The home inspection is more than just a step among many you must check off before finalizing the purchase of your home. In many ways, the home inspection buys you peace of mind. Even if the sellers are being perfectly honest about everything they know to be wrong with the home when they complete the seller’s disclosure form there could be plenty they don’t know about the house and therefore can’t disclose to you. The home inspection will help to ensure you do not become one of those homeowners who lays out their life savings on their dream home only to discover a month later that it is actually a money pit.

Home inspectors are a dime a dozen, or practically so, anyway. In order to make sure you are actually getting the peace of mind you deserve regarding the condition of your home it is imperative you make sure you are hiring the most experienced and professional home inspector you can find. Remember, a lot is riding on this decision. After the sale has been finalized, you can’t come back and return the house because it’s faulty. Make sure you know everything up front by approaching the home inspection the same way you would hiring any other important professional in your life. Research and ask questions.

Before you hire any home inspector, always be sure to ask the following questions. This will help you to gauge which inspectors are really qualified and experienced enough to provide you with a thorough inspection.

Always ask if the inspector has a background in construction. This can be extremely important because many, if not most of the problems associated with a home are structural and he or she might not be able to detect if they don’t have a background in construction.

Find out if the inspector is a member of an established professional organization, such as the American Society of Home Inspectors. Such an organization maintains high standards and ethics, giving you reassurance the inspector you hire has completed all necessary training requirements and passed a rigorous exam for admittance. This is extremely important in Florida because there is no state licensing requirements for home inspectors. Don’t trust your home inspection to just anyone.

Ask about the inspector’s length of time in the industry and how many inspections he’s performed. You’re looking for someone with a significant amount of experience both in terms of longevity and number of appraisals performed.

If you’re purchasing a specific type of home, such as a beachfront home, make sure any inspector you consider has experience in similar homes. Someone not experienced in inspecting a beachfront home may not be able to discern problems specifically related to such homes.

 
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