Buying a home is a substantial investment that you don’t want to make any mistakes along the way. While choosing the right home can be challenging, it’s important to run a thorough inspection of your favorite homes before you can make the decision. But, an accurate and credible investigation can only be possible with the right skills and abilities of your home inspector. Therefore, it’s crucial to get the right one for a detailed inspection report. So, what are the questions you should ask your home inspector?
1- What Is Your Inspector’s Work Background?
Although home inspections seem easy, they require specific skills and attributes to ensure sound judgment of homes before buyers can invest. Therefore, as a purchaser, it is your responsibility to ensure the inspector is fit to carry out the inspection. How do you achieve this? One important thing is to ask about their experience, people they worked with before and how long they have served as home inspectors.
Additionally, inquire about their location of practice to ensure they are conversant with the property laws of that particular state. Most importantly ask about their education, licensing and if they are members of home inspection associations. Such organizations assist members in learning from different members’ experiences. Also, with the membership exams, you can be sure the inspector is approved and fit for home inspections.
Before you can conclude, ask your family and friends for recommendations of inspectors they hired in the past. As much as you may rely on reviews from inspectors’ sites, some may not offer information as it is on the ground. Asking people who have lived in homes for some time after inspections can help you understand what could be left out. That way, you can choose the best-recommended inspector.
2- What Will Be Inspected?
A home inspection should cover all the aspects of the building including the general compound. However, some inspectors may assume some areas that are of less concern. But since you want a comprehensive report before you can acquire the home, it is important to discuss with your inspector what entails the checklist.
Usually, your home inspector should check both the exterior and interior of the home including garages, balconies, and decks. Additionally, he should inspect the plumbing line, the electrical system, and the HVAC systems. You can ask your inspector to outline what includes each section. For example, inspection of the plumbing line should cover the waste drains, vent systems, water heaters, fixtures and sewage ejectors. With a list, the inspector is less likely to leave out some areas.
There are areas your inspector will not check such as the condition of the foundation, underground irrigation systems or defects in hidden structures such as the attic. Equally, they may not be in a position to examine the efficiency of appliances in the house such as dishwashers, dryers and the like. With that, you should not expect your home inspector to help you weigh whether the house is right for you.
3- What Are The Charges?
The total inspection cost will vary depending on the location of the house, the size, and your inspector’s actual rate. Be careful when choosing low-rate inspectors as they may not necessarily offer you the best service. Usually, you will pay the inspector on the inspection day although some may want upfront deposits. Therefore, you should ask what the cost includes, any extra charges and the available modes of payment. It is advisable to plan earlier to ensure you settle the charge as soon as you get your inspection report.
4- What Is The Timeline?
With the right inspector so far, it is time to discuss when the inspection will take place and how long it will take. Essentially, the exercise should last just a day although some factors such as location may affect the time needed to complete the exercise. Additionally, you should find out how long you will wait for your home inspection report.
Choosing a home inspector totals down to how well they can meet your expectations. As a home buyer, you ought to choose the right one based on previous experience, education and licensing. Most importantly, remember to acquire a checklist of the inspection process and a total charge for the same.
