How to Choose a Home Inspector
It is sometimes difficult to choose which inspector is right for your home inspection. The discerning home buyer must assess a variety of factors in determining which inspector 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 as an inspector with 15 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.
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 high quality service is always more expensive than providing low quality service, and those who invest in educating themselves and participating in the future of the industry often have to charge more and generally offer more value to the client. We don't choose a doctor based on who will do the surgery for less!
REAL ESTATE AGENTS: Perhaps the most important decision you will make in your real estate 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. Agents are in a good position to observe the performance of various home inspectors over the course of their real estate careers. Purchasers often look to their Agents for suggestions in selecting mortgage lenders, title companies, and home inspectors. Most career 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 may not go to closing. A Realtor who is in business for the long term understands that helping a client find the perfect house and the best service providers improves their chances of being called on to list that house in the future and to help the 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 REFERRING SOURCES: In many cases, the most objective referral can come from someone you know who has recently had a good experience with a home Inspector. However, keep in mind that most people only deal with Home Inspectors once or a very few times in their lives, so may not have a broad basis upon which to refer an inspector. Just because an inspector is a nice guy does not necessarily mean that s/he is a good inspector.
THE HOME INSPECTOR WORKS FOR YOU, THE CLIENT - and no one else. Inspectors are paid on a flat fee-for-service basis and therefore have no vested interest in the outcome of the inspection. Unlike many of the experts that you will rely on to help in your homebuying decision, Home Inspectors make the same amount of money whether you buy the house or not. An inspector's goal is to give you the best information about the house condition to help you make the best decision, not to be sure that you actually buy the house.
Regardless of the source of a referral for a home inspector, take the time to interview each candidate individually. In the end, it is up to you to determine which inspector best fits your needs.
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 as an inspector with 15 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.
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 high quality service is always more expensive than providing low quality service, and those who invest in educating themselves and participating in the future of the industry often have to charge more and generally offer more value to the client. We don't choose a doctor based on who will do the surgery for less!
REAL ESTATE AGENTS: Perhaps the most important decision you will make in your real estate 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. Agents are in a good position to observe the performance of various home inspectors over the course of their real estate careers. Purchasers often look to their Agents for suggestions in selecting mortgage lenders, title companies, and home inspectors. Most career 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 may not go to closing. A Realtor who is in business for the long term understands that helping a client find the perfect house and the best service providers improves their chances of being called on to list that house in the future and to help the 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 REFERRING SOURCES: In many cases, the most objective referral can come from someone you know who has recently had a good experience with a home Inspector. However, keep in mind that most people only deal with Home Inspectors once or a very few times in their lives, so may not have a broad basis upon which to refer an inspector. Just because an inspector is a nice guy does not necessarily mean that s/he is a good inspector.
THE HOME INSPECTOR WORKS FOR YOU, THE CLIENT - and no one else. Inspectors are paid on a flat fee-for-service basis and therefore have no vested interest in the outcome of the inspection. Unlike many of the experts that you will rely on to help in your homebuying decision, Home Inspectors make the same amount of money whether you buy the house or not. An inspector's goal is to give you the best information about the house condition to help you make the best decision, not to be sure that you actually buy the house.
Regardless of the source of a referral for a home inspector, take the time to interview each candidate individually. In the end, it is up to you to determine which inspector best fits your needs.
What to do?
_One of the best ways to select a home inspector is to ask friends and trusted referral sources who they have used in the past. Friendly referrals can help you determine which inspectors are capable of doing the best inspection for the money. However, many times this 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.
You're the Boss!
When you call to schedule a home inspection, be prepared to conduct an employment interview. You're the boss, the Inspector is a prospective employee.