Inspecting the Inspector: A Guide to Finding the Best Home Inspector

HomeReal Estate

  • Author Elijah Christensen
  • Published September 3, 2010
  • Word count 603

When you have reached the point where you have chosen the home you believe is the perfect one for you, its time to get a professional home inspection. You need to know everything about the property you're going to purchase; you must be sure if the home you have chosen is really what you think it is. That's why it is important that you find the best possible home inspector. After all, you only have one chance of having the home inspected by a professional, so act wisely.

Buyers of Ahwatukee homes for sale can have a hard time looking for expert home inspectors as there are thousands of them today, approximately 30,000 in the nation. In addition, not all of them are experts in their field; some of them have only undergone nominal training, which may possibly be regarded as futile. Others only pursued this occupation for the sake of money. For this reason, you must be wary when hiring an inspector.

Do not easily rely on a home inspector just because he is certified or licensed, you must be meticulous; make a background check, look for his records, and find out everything you can that is related to his work performance. To help you narrow your search and get rid of the bad inspectors from your options, you should look for an inspector who is associated with one of the respectable home inspection organizations in the U.S., such as:

  • The National Institute of Building Inspectors or NIBI

  • The American Society of Home Inspectors or ASHI

  • The National Association of Home Inspectors, Inc. or NAHI

It's but normal for your real estate agent to recommend an inspector, but don't just depend on his recommendation that easily. It is your right to have your interests served. Ask for more suggestions from your agent, three to five names of inspectors will do.

If you have made your choice on which home inspector you will hire, you should first conduct an interview and ask him some questions before you finally get his services. Be watchful on his answers, if he shows hesitation, you should think again about hiring him; most expert inspectors can answer without any uncertainty. You should also look into his experience, credentials, and records. It would be wise if you call the licensing board to see if he is active and check if there are complaints filed against him.

You should also ask the inspector if he offers a written guarantee for a certain period. Some inspectors offer a contract that requires them to pay the client for any eligible repairs that may possibly arise during the period of time agreed upon by both parties. If he really is a skilled inspector, he wouldn't have any problems guaranteeing the inspection with a written contract.

Request for a sample of the inspector's report; it should be narrative in style and not just a checklist. You may also see the sample on the Internet, simply visit the inspectors website. This way, you can check if all the areas that need to be inspected are covered.

Even though it is not required for you to be present during the home inspection, you should. You should be dubious if the inspector doesn't want you to be there. Normally, inspections take more or less four hours so suspect if someone informs you that it will only take about an hour or less.

It may be difficult but you should be very cautious when choosing an inspector. Make sure that the Ahwatukee real estate you are about to purchase is worth the money you're paying.

Elijah Christensen writes articles about real estate and investment and is passionate about personal finance topics. Check out interesting Ahwatukee homes for sale as well as a comprehensive list of Ahwatukee real estate.

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