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House Inspectors

Let a professional give you their professional opinion

Today, most houses being sold are sold with the provision that the house must pass a home inspection.

A home inspection is an objective visual examination of the physical structure and systems of a house, from the roof to the foundation by someone qualified to make these assessments.

A qualified home inspector will usually be someone that is accredited by an organization such as the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). Many of these inspectors have been in the building industry in one form or another for many years.

Choosing an ASHI inspector means choosing someone you can trust to objectively and independently provide you with a comprehensive analysis of the home’s major systems and components—apart from anyone's interests other than your own.

Home inspectors come in different grades of qualification. A home inspector can be a "certified inspector" meaning they have taken courses of study to qualify to be an inspector. There are also Licensed Professional Engineers (P.E.). These inspectors are the top of the line and are regulated and licensed in each state. They are qualified to give factual opinions about structural problems or defects.

Since most buyers are not familiar with the building industry, they will (and should) insist on having this inspection as a condition of buying the house. If problems are discovered that were not covered in the initial discussions with the agent and homeowner, these problems may need to be addressed before the actual closing date. The seller will then be faced with either making the repairs, or giving concessions to the buyer before the closing proceeds if the buyer does decide to proceed with the sale.

If you are planning to sell your home, a home inspection can give you the opportunity to make repairs that will put the house in better selling condition and avoid delays and unexpected expenses popping up at the wrong time, when you are in no position to negotiate. Imagine 2 days before the scheduled closing date on your new property, that your home buyer comes to you saying that their home inspector found cracks in the foundation that should be repaired at a cost of $5000. Either you give them a $5000 discount, or they will walk away from the deal. What can you do? You're expecting to close on your new property and can't afford to have the buyer of your old house to walk out and you really can't afford to lose the $5000 they say it will cost to fix.

The answer is for you (the seller) to have your own inspection well in advance of you putting your house on the market. This will alert you to any hidden problems and give you the opportunity of fixing them through regular contractors, and at a price you have some say about through competitive bids.

The home inspection report is just that: a report. It is not an evaluation of the appraised property value. It is just a report on the condition of the property at the time of the inspection.

Do you have to be present during the inspection?

It's not absolutely necessary to be present, but it is recommended. You'll be able to observe the inspector and ask questions as you learn about the condition of your house. However, if the buyer has hired a home inspector, you (as the seller) should not accompany the inspector. Allow the inspector to proceed at his own pace and to find any problems on their own. Should a problem arise in the future, it may be argued, if you accompanied the inspector, that you influenced the inspector and purposely hid a defect or caused the inspector to miss a defect.

Cost of an inspection

Prices for home inspections vary from geographic area to area and from house size. Typically these inspections will fall in the $300 - $500 range. This expense is usually paid for by the person requesting the inspection. As the seller, you should pay for your own inspection prior to listing the property and then making any needed repairs. An interested buyer will then also probably request another home inspection. They will pay for that inspection themselves. Do not try to talk them out of this inspection process even if you have already had an inspection. It is important for the buyer to be completely sure about buying the property and having them hire their own inspector will do this. Should a problem arise that wasn't discovered by your inspector, then you have a basis for challenging the results of the 2nd inspection.

Hiring a home inspector

There are several ways of finding a home inspector in your area:

Friends who have recently purchased homes should be able to give you the names of reputable house inspectors.

Your real estate agent may also be able to give you a referral, but be sensitive here to the potential conflict of a referral to an inspector who may overlook problems in an effort to close the deal quickly.

Do not make home inspector recommendations to the buyer. Let them make their own selection without any input or influence from you.

Many inspectors belong to the American Society of Home Inspectors, although membership in this organization doesn’t assure competence.

Getting bids and references from more than one inspector can help you ferret out the right inspector for you. Depending on the location of your home, you may also want to get specialized inspections for insect damage, floods and other natural disasters, as well as toxic chemical inspections.

One note of caution: Be sure that your home inspection report will be a detailed written report, not a hand written checklist that is given to you at the end of the home inspection. A checklist may be void of details and may not provide all of the information and engineering advice first time home buyers need.