How to Choose a Home Inspector
It is sometimes difficult to choose which inspector is right for your home inspection. The discerning homebuyer must assess a variety of factors in determining who will provide the best inspection value.
LICENSURE: Interestingly, as more States have begun requiring licensure of home inspectors, it has become more difficult to select the best inspector. On the surface it may appear that all licensed inspectors possess the same capabilities and that they are essentially interchangeable. This is far from the truth. Licensure differs from State to State and many States still do not regulate home inspectors. Licensure may simply mean that a person has passed a test to prove that s/he understands a minimum body of technical knowledge, but does not assess how well that person can apply that knowledge in the field. It also cannot factor in the value of the years of experience many inspectors can bring to bear on your home inspection. Licensure may make it seem like an inspector with 2 months of experience has the same capabilities and an inspector with 20 years of experience.
LENGTH OF TIME AS AN INSPECTOR: Have said the foregoing, there is no guarantee that someone who has been an inspector for a long time is necessarily better than an inspector with less time in the industry. My Dad used to tell me that there is a huge difference between having ten years of experience versus having one year of experience repeated for ten years. It is crucial that an inspector participates in continuing education to stay at the forefront of new developments in home inspecting. However, in most cases, an inspector who refuses to keep honing his/her skills will be out of the business in a relatively short time period.
COST: Choosing an inspector based on price alone is perhaps the worst method to select an inspector. Many newer inspectors find it necessary to offer very low inspection fees to break into a given marketplace and to compete with inspectors with far better qualifications. Inspectors who offer reduced rates may also do so to make up for the fact that they receive no repeat or referral business from past clients. Providing a quality service is always more expensive than providing a low quality service, and those who invest in educating themselves and participating in the future of the industry generally offer more value to the client.
REAL ESTATE AGENTS: Realtors are in a good position to observe the performance of various home inspectors over the course of their real estate careers. This can be a very good or a very bad thing. Most reputable Agents want to be sure that their buyer clients are armed with the best information possible to make a homebuying decision even if it means that a given transaction does not go to closing. A Realtor who is in business for the long term understands that helping a client find the perfect house improves their chances of being called to list that house in the future and to help that client find the next home in their homeownership progression. IN addition, satisfied clients are more likely to recommend their Realtor to friends and colleagues. Other Agents simply want to be sure that whatever transaction they are involved with at the moment goes to settlement regardless of the possible long term consequences.
Perhaps the most important decision you will make in your home buying ventures is your selection of a real estate Agent. We are in favor of carefully selecting a Realtor to serve as your BUYER AGENT, whose professional obligation is to represent your best interests. In most cases, this service does not cost the buyer anything. If you trust your Agent with helping you to negotiate one of the largest investments that you may make in your life, it is important that you have faith in their recommendations to serve your best interests in all aspects of the transaction. This may include following their advice for selecting a mortgage lender or a home inspector. Some buyers are concerned that a home inspector recommended by their Realtor may not provide a complete and unbiased inspection. If you feel that an Agent had made recommendations that serve their interests more than yours - it's time to find another Realtor. If not, trust your Agent to recommend the person best qualified to provide the best objective information on the condition of the house in question so that you can make your decisions based on solid information.
LICENSURE: Interestingly, as more States have begun requiring licensure of home inspectors, it has become more difficult to select the best inspector. On the surface it may appear that all licensed inspectors possess the same capabilities and that they are essentially interchangeable. This is far from the truth. Licensure differs from State to State and many States still do not regulate home inspectors. Licensure may simply mean that a person has passed a test to prove that s/he understands a minimum body of technical knowledge, but does not assess how well that person can apply that knowledge in the field. It also cannot factor in the value of the years of experience many inspectors can bring to bear on your home inspection. Licensure may make it seem like an inspector with 2 months of experience has the same capabilities and an inspector with 20 years of experience.
LENGTH OF TIME AS AN INSPECTOR: Have said the foregoing, there is no guarantee that someone who has been an inspector for a long time is necessarily better than an inspector with less time in the industry. My Dad used to tell me that there is a huge difference between having ten years of experience versus having one year of experience repeated for ten years. It is crucial that an inspector participates in continuing education to stay at the forefront of new developments in home inspecting. However, in most cases, an inspector who refuses to keep honing his/her skills will be out of the business in a relatively short time period.
COST: Choosing an inspector based on price alone is perhaps the worst method to select an inspector. Many newer inspectors find it necessary to offer very low inspection fees to break into a given marketplace and to compete with inspectors with far better qualifications. Inspectors who offer reduced rates may also do so to make up for the fact that they receive no repeat or referral business from past clients. Providing a quality service is always more expensive than providing a low quality service, and those who invest in educating themselves and participating in the future of the industry generally offer more value to the client.
REAL ESTATE AGENTS: Realtors are in a good position to observe the performance of various home inspectors over the course of their real estate careers. This can be a very good or a very bad thing. Most reputable Agents want to be sure that their buyer clients are armed with the best information possible to make a homebuying decision even if it means that a given transaction does not go to closing. A Realtor who is in business for the long term understands that helping a client find the perfect house improves their chances of being called to list that house in the future and to help that client find the next home in their homeownership progression. IN addition, satisfied clients are more likely to recommend their Realtor to friends and colleagues. Other Agents simply want to be sure that whatever transaction they are involved with at the moment goes to settlement regardless of the possible long term consequences.
Perhaps the most important decision you will make in your home buying ventures is your selection of a real estate Agent. We are in favor of carefully selecting a Realtor to serve as your BUYER AGENT, whose professional obligation is to represent your best interests. In most cases, this service does not cost the buyer anything. If you trust your Agent with helping you to negotiate one of the largest investments that you may make in your life, it is important that you have faith in their recommendations to serve your best interests in all aspects of the transaction. This may include following their advice for selecting a mortgage lender or a home inspector. Some buyers are concerned that a home inspector recommended by their Realtor may not provide a complete and unbiased inspection. If you feel that an Agent had made recommendations that serve their interests more than yours - it's time to find another Realtor. If not, trust your Agent to recommend the person best qualified to provide the best objective information on the condition of the house in question so that you can make your decisions based on solid information.
What to do?
_One of the best ways to select a home inspector is to ask friends and trusted referral sources who are capable of doing the best inspection for the money. However, many times that is not possible. Most people will only require the services of a professional inspector two or three times during their homebuying career and consequently may have very limited experience to base their referrals on. Our advice is to speak directly with the person who will actually
conduct your inspection, and ask for the inspector's resume of
professional accomplishments. Determine the inspector's professionalism
and his/her ability to articulate answers to your questions. See if they feel right for your needs.