Top Five Things to Look For When Hiring a Home Inspector
Often, people are of the belief that they don’t need to get their home checked by a home inspector as they can assess it themselves, rather than spending on an inspector. However, it’s important to remember that inspectors are the trained experts. They’re the ones who know to find hidden leaks and cracks or non-functioning systems and their training and experience allows them to see a lot more than most house-hunters.
A home inspector checks the safety of your potential new home and focuses especially on the structure, construction and mechanical systems of the house and will make you aware of any repairs that are needed. An inspector also examines the house thoroughly for non-functioning systems and will give a detailed report that forms the basis for continuing with the purchase, renegotiating the sale price, allowing the seller to make repairs, or for pulling out of the sale.
To help you pick the right inspector, here’s a list of top five things to look for when hiring a home inspector.
- Member of a major association of Home Inspectors.
The Home Inspector associations have requirements that home inspectors must have, as well as standards of practice that they must follow. Without these, you don’t know what kind of inspection you’re going to get.
- Qualified.
Different associations use different terminologies so don’t get hung up on the words. Soon there will be licensing in Ontario so you’ll be able to ask if they’re licensed. However, for now, ask what qualifications their association requires and how they got them.
- Training.
This is a must. Knowing about construction is part of it, however, ensure that your potential inspector also knows some things about the history of construction techniques as older homes will have older construction methods and materials. There’s also a process that inspectors follow that comes from training and experience. Field training is also important. It’s hard to get a full understanding of the inspection process from a classroom or an online course. Watching and learning from an experienced pro is so important for an inspector to learn to do it right.
- Number and duration of inspections in a day.
Ask how many inspections they do in a day or at least how long the inspection will take. There are inspectors out there that will cram in five or more inspections in a day, which means they’re only spending an hour or less on your home. You have to ask yourself how focused they are on your home when they’re already planning their route to the next inspection.
At GoldEye, we only do one inspection per day so your home is the only thing on our inspector’s mind. Our inspections typically take two and a half to three hours so that we can take a careful look at every part of the home.
- Judgment.
Try to get to know the inspector a bit so you can tell how much they care. There are people in just about every industry that have the skills and knowledge but just don’t give it their best effort. Trust your gut feeling, if something doesn’t feel right when you meet with your prospective inspector, go elsewhere.
Ask if they’ll be available after the inspection or after you’ve moved into the home to answer questions. Some inspectors may not want to have a long-term relationship with you.
We’ve even heard of some inspectors that don’t want their clients present at the inspection. To us, half of the purpose of the inspection is to discuss the home and the components with the client so they understand them properly. That’s the only way clients can ensure issues are addressed and, in the long term, properly maintain the home. The ultimate goal of the inspector should be to help you get the most out of your home and have it perform well for as long as possible.
If you or someone you know is looking out for a home inspector in Guelph, Kitchener, Waterloo, Burlington, Hamilton, Brantford, Cambridge, and Milton, contact GoldEye Home Inspection. We look at how the home’s systems perform, rather than design or cosmetic issues. To know more about services that we provide, please click here. If you’ve any questions pertaining to home inspection,get in touch with us by clicking here.
