Tips on How to Find the Perfect Home Inspector for You
Looking for a good home inspector is not an easy task. It can be daunting most especially for people who have never hired one in the past. Here in this article are some quick tips on how to find the perfect home inspector so that at the end of the day, you will be able to hire one that will suit your needs and get the job done without a hitch.
It is worth noting that all licensed home inspectors are obliged to strictly follow a universal standard. However, this does not mean that all inspectors are the same. On the contrary, it is far from it. If you were to hire two inspectors to conduct a home inspection on the same house, you will be surprised to see that the reports and their findings differ significantly. To simplify this, some inspectors have more experienced, some are more relaxed and are not as thorough as the others, some inspectors try harder than the others, and much more. All these combined into varying degrees lead to varied results. An example would be: some home inspectors have different means of examining a roof, some walk on it, some climb up the attic and check for issues from underneath, while some don’t even bother at all. This is why you should always attend the house inspection so that you can monitor and make sure that the home inspector is doing the job properly. Here are some things you should bear in mind whenever you are looking for a home inspector.
Home Inspector License- You need to make sure that the inspector you plan on hiring has a license. Many states require inspectors to get a license. You can check out your real estate board of your state to find out.
Experience – A surprising fact is that anybody can become a certified and licensed home inspector in just a short amount of time. Though it helps to have some knowledge of construction, it isn’t really required. Though in the future this might change, as of the moment, all it takes to become a home inspector is to complete the required number of hours at a certified home inspection course or school and then pass the state licensing test. After this, they are now a licensed professional house inspector despite them not have had inspected a single house in their entire life.
Professional Affiliations – Most of these home inspectors are part of a professional organization in order to reap its benefits and hone their skills as these organizations require the home inspectors to have continuing education units to become and stay a member.
Insurance – Always make sure that the inspector you plan on hiring is insured. A house inspector New York City is required to be insured in order to renew their license.
Ask for a sample report – Asking for a sample report will give you a clue as to how thorough they are when it comes to home inspections. These reports should include pictures of the defects that they found in the house. Many inspectors nowadays use computer-generated ones to post on their website for you to check out and see whether or not you want to work with them.