Finding a Quality Home Inspector - What You"ll Want to Ask
You've identified the property, your offer has been agreed on, and money is ready.
But before you start packing, be sure you hire a qualified home inspector to make sure your home doesn't have any major flaws that could cost you down the road.
A residence inspection typically consists of an assessment of heating and central air conditioning systems, interior plumbing, electrical systems, the roofing, attic, accessible insulation, walls, ceilings, floors, windows, foundations, and basements.
Inspections may also contain appliances and outdoor plumbing.
As soon as the inspector examines the residence, he or she will draft a statement with findings.
If there are any huge conditions, you'll want to negotiate with the seller to either decrease the sale price of the home, or figure out how the condition will be corrected.
When you make an offer it is really good to have a contingency clause based on the house inspection.
In other words, if the inspector finds $10,000 worth of difficulties and the seller doesn't want to provide the fix, you can remove your offer.
In fact, two in 5 resale homes will have no less than one significant defect that could cost you from a few hundred dollars to as much as $15,000 to correct, as outlined by the 2009 HouseMaster Resale Home Deficiencies Study.
Spending a few hundred dollars for a home inspection is worth the peace of mind.
If you really don't know how or where to look for a home inspector, be cautious about asking your real estate agent.
The American Society of Home Inspectors is a good place to begin.
All certified participants have carried out at the least 250 inspections and have passed 2 written proficiency exams.
They must also conform to standards of practice, continuing education requirements, and code of ethics.
ASHI advises you interview a number of inspectors prior to picking one.
Several of the questions you should ask include: # What does the inspection cover? Ensure the inspection and the inspection survey satisfy all applicable specifications and abide by the ASHI Standards of Practice.
# How long have you been in the career and how many residences have you inspected? Again, ASHI Members are expected to have accomplished at least 250 paid professional home inspections and passed two written exams that analyze the inspector's expertise.
# Are you specifically experienced in residential inspection? The response ought to be yes.
If anyone says they have special training in something like construction or engineering but not in home inspection, you may want to proceed to the next candidate.
# Does the inspector's company offer to do repairs or improvements according to the inspection? The answer should always be no.
This is against the ASHI Code of Ethics simply because it may lead to a conflict of interest.
# How long will the inspection take? The typical for a single inspector is 2 to 3 hours for a common single-family house; anything much less may not be adequate time to perform a complete inspection.
Some inspection companies send out a group of inspectors and the time frame may well be faster.
# How much will it cost? Costs differ considerably depending on the location, dimensions of the house, range of services and some other factors.
A typical range might be $300-500, but take into account the value of the residence inspection in terms of the investment being made.
# Does the inspector put together a written record? Ask to look at samples and decide whether you fully understand the report.
# Does the inspector encourage the client to go to the inspection? This is a helpful educational opportunity for you to understand how things work around what could possibly be your house, and the inspector may point out things that do not quite deserve a mention in the statement but which you should keep an eye on.
An inspector's refusal to make it possible for you to be present really should raise a red flag.
Last but not least, once you've found an inspector you like, ask him/her for references, then follow up and contact those clients.
Two key questions - whether they discovered any main problems after the close of escrow that the inspector didn't find, and whether they'd employ the inspector repeatedly.
But before you start packing, be sure you hire a qualified home inspector to make sure your home doesn't have any major flaws that could cost you down the road.
A residence inspection typically consists of an assessment of heating and central air conditioning systems, interior plumbing, electrical systems, the roofing, attic, accessible insulation, walls, ceilings, floors, windows, foundations, and basements.
Inspections may also contain appliances and outdoor plumbing.
As soon as the inspector examines the residence, he or she will draft a statement with findings.
If there are any huge conditions, you'll want to negotiate with the seller to either decrease the sale price of the home, or figure out how the condition will be corrected.
When you make an offer it is really good to have a contingency clause based on the house inspection.
In other words, if the inspector finds $10,000 worth of difficulties and the seller doesn't want to provide the fix, you can remove your offer.
In fact, two in 5 resale homes will have no less than one significant defect that could cost you from a few hundred dollars to as much as $15,000 to correct, as outlined by the 2009 HouseMaster Resale Home Deficiencies Study.
Spending a few hundred dollars for a home inspection is worth the peace of mind.
If you really don't know how or where to look for a home inspector, be cautious about asking your real estate agent.
The American Society of Home Inspectors is a good place to begin.
All certified participants have carried out at the least 250 inspections and have passed 2 written proficiency exams.
They must also conform to standards of practice, continuing education requirements, and code of ethics.
ASHI advises you interview a number of inspectors prior to picking one.
Several of the questions you should ask include: # What does the inspection cover? Ensure the inspection and the inspection survey satisfy all applicable specifications and abide by the ASHI Standards of Practice.
# How long have you been in the career and how many residences have you inspected? Again, ASHI Members are expected to have accomplished at least 250 paid professional home inspections and passed two written exams that analyze the inspector's expertise.
# Are you specifically experienced in residential inspection? The response ought to be yes.
If anyone says they have special training in something like construction or engineering but not in home inspection, you may want to proceed to the next candidate.
# Does the inspector's company offer to do repairs or improvements according to the inspection? The answer should always be no.
This is against the ASHI Code of Ethics simply because it may lead to a conflict of interest.
# How long will the inspection take? The typical for a single inspector is 2 to 3 hours for a common single-family house; anything much less may not be adequate time to perform a complete inspection.
Some inspection companies send out a group of inspectors and the time frame may well be faster.
# How much will it cost? Costs differ considerably depending on the location, dimensions of the house, range of services and some other factors.
A typical range might be $300-500, but take into account the value of the residence inspection in terms of the investment being made.
# Does the inspector put together a written record? Ask to look at samples and decide whether you fully understand the report.
# Does the inspector encourage the client to go to the inspection? This is a helpful educational opportunity for you to understand how things work around what could possibly be your house, and the inspector may point out things that do not quite deserve a mention in the statement but which you should keep an eye on.
An inspector's refusal to make it possible for you to be present really should raise a red flag.
Last but not least, once you've found an inspector you like, ask him/her for references, then follow up and contact those clients.
Two key questions - whether they discovered any main problems after the close of escrow that the inspector didn't find, and whether they'd employ the inspector repeatedly.