Choosing a home inspector can be a daunting task in and of itself. If you’re a home buyer or are trying to refinance your home, the home inspector you choose should be on your side. However, it can be hard to know which home inspectors you can trust and which ones you can’t. It can be difficult to tell if your home inspector is truly on your side and is being completely transparent with you about any issues and their severity.
Its also important to choose a home inspector who can work well with real estate agents. Oftentimes, real estate agents can view home inspectors as the opposition- someone blocking the sale of a home. In reality, your home inspector and your real estate agent need each other to complete the home buying process and should be able to work cooperatively.
A home inspector shouldn’t be coming out to give a simple “pass or fail” test to your home. The home inspector is there to lay out basic facts and point out any flaws and shortcomings of the home. This is truly all for your benefit. The purpose of a home inspection is to deliver pertinent, relevant facts so that the buyer can make a good, informed decision.
With so much potentially riding on the home inspection, its important to know what to look for when choosing a home inspector. Here are some guidelines to follow:
-
Check with your real estate agent for references. Chances are, your realtor will have a trusted home inspector that he or she has worked with multiple times and works well with.
-
Make sure the company is bonded and insured. If you use a home inspector who isn’t insured and the inspector gets injured during the inspection, you could potentially be held liable.
-
Make sure that home inspections is the only thing your inspector does. Some home inspectors also run repair and renovation businesses. This is a huge conflict of interest as the inspector may be more likely to see issues that aren’t there to try and sell you some of their other services.
-
Check beforehand to see what all the inspection will include. Its important to get a thorough inspection done if you’re considering buying a home. The inspection should include plumbing, electrical, structural, HVAC, basement, foundation, roof, attic, grading and water buildup and penetration issues, pests, mold, radon, lead paint, asbestos, and appliances.
-
Check with friends and family for references. Using an inspector that your friends or family trust and have had a positive experience with can help ensure you’re using a trustworthy inspector.
-
Ensure that you can accompany the inspector through and around the home during the inspection. Seeing potential issues firsthand is important.
-
Cost compare. Its ok to shop around some. If you find an inspector who quotes you significantly more or significantly less than other companies, this could be a red flag.
If you’re purchasing a home or refinancing your home and your home inspection shows issues with your garage door, call Covenant Garage Doors today.