Shopping around for a home inspection? Don’t choose solely on price. You get what you pay for. Using the cheapest inspector can be a mistake. The more expensive inspectors charge higher fees because they have experience, are good at what they do, and are in demand.
Here are five things to ask about when looking for a home inspector:
1. Do they inspect the entire roof? “Inspecting” the roof from the ground can miss a lot of potential issues.
2. Do they attempt to inspect as much of the crawlspace and attic as possible? These critical areas are not for the faint of heart and take both physical ability and determination to inspect thoroughly.
3. How long is their typical inspection? While a home inspection is intended to find major problems, some inspectors attempt to rush through in as little as an hour. While that may be realistic for a small brand-new home, it’s simply impossible to perform a thorough inspection on an average-sized home in that short a time unless there is a team of inspectors involved.
4. What does their report look like? Today’s home inspection reports include many pictures, short video clips, and illustrations to help convey information. Is it well-written and easy to understand? Is there a summary, to help narrow your focus to the most important problems?
5. What kind of reviews does the inspector have? An inspector with few, or poor reviews, may not be a reputable or good inspector.