by PN Schiavone

Created on: October 20, 2008   Last Updated: April 12, 2009

You finally did it. You put an offer on a home. The next 5 business days are going to be hectic. You have do decide if you are having a home inspection and who will do it. Home inspections save you money and a headache when you buy a home. When a home inspector finds a major deficiency you have an opportunity to show the seller what the problem is a negotiate a settlement on repair. If nothing is materially wrong with the propety you will at least know more about what you will be spending your lifes work on. Who do you use to inspect the single biggest purchase of your life? You may ask your Realtor or lawyer for some referrals. But in the end you must choose an inspector that you are comfortable with.

Here are some important questions to ask your inspector. First, what are you going to inspect. Not all inspectors inspect all the same areas of a house. For instance some inspectors do not run appliances. This seems peculiar to me since at least 20% of all deficiencies are noted in appliances during the home inspection. The home inspector cannot tell you how well a dishwasher will clean dishes but at least you know that it went through a cycle and did not leak when ran. Second, what kind of equipment does the inspector use. Some use pen and paper with a flashlight. Others use infra-red cameras to detect problems. Third, what kind of tests does the home inspector recommend? Some inspectors will add on test after test until you spend all the money in your wallet. I believe in the basic home inspection along with a radon test. I can tell my client during the inspection if a mold test, water test, or WDI inspection is needed. Finally, I believe in asking what type of report is going to be delivered and in what time frame. This is very important as lawyers will use this report when larger problems are noted. I tend to like a more narrative report. Sure they take a lot longer to write but at least the client and the lawyers will know what the problems really are. I have seen check off reports that say satisfactory, good, and poor. What do you ask for if the roof is in poor condition? Do you need an entire new roof or just does it need repairs.

Lastly, if you have a house over a million dollars, you may want to hire two inspection companies and compare the reports that you get. Remember, inspectors come from different backgrounds and are generalists in a lot of fields. Two inspectors may have different ideas about the same problem All good inspectors will give you an honest opinion, but they should also not be afraid to tell you when they do not know the answer to a question. There are times when I need to research an item that I have inspected to give my client the best answer possible. There may be times during the inspection that the inspector will tell you to have a licensed professional further evaluate and remedy an item.

Your home is important. You should spend the $425.00 to $625.00 to find out as much as you can about your new purchase. This would cover the cost of a Home Inspection and a Radon Test. This is why you need the expertise of a professional inspector who would tell you if other tests are needed.

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