It’s important to find the right home inspector before you go house hunting.
You will feel less pressured to pick the first home inspector you meet when you find the right home. It is important to make sure him or her is well trained and insured.
Remember, you are relying on someone’s professional evaluation to be a major player in deciding on the biggest investment of your life. Below are some helpful tips in choosing the right one:
- First, interview multiple inspectors and ask plenty of questions. You can also ask your friends and family for recommendations.
- It is important for your home inspector to have had proper training in all aspects of home inspection as well as ongoing training for any changes in construction techniques and systems.
- Find out how long they’ve been in business; gather a list of references and check his/her background. Certification of a reputable training institute, which also requires re-testing annually, is important to research.
- Make sure the home inspector is independent and has no relationship with the seller in any way.
- Certify the home inspector has insurance – including general liability, worker’s compensation and especially Errors and Omissions Insurance, which is comparable to malpractice insurance.
- The inspector must provide you with a report along with a written guarantee to back up his inspection findings.
If you follow these guidelines above, you should be ahead of the game finding a home inspector that will work to your benefit. As mentioned above, it is important to interview a few before you find the house you really want so you aren’t inclined to go with the first inspector you come across.
