Inspecting The Home Inspector
Mon, 25 AugHome Inspections – Inspect the Inspector!
So, your realtor has helped you find the house of your dreams. You have made an offer and your offer has been accepted.
Your realtor would have made sure that your offer had included several “subject to’s”, one of them being a home inspection.
Obviously you will want a home inspection company that really knows their job well. After all, you are making a very large investment and are relying on the company to advise you if there is anything wrong with the house.
How do you choose your inspector?
Your realtor may be able to give you a list of home inspectors, but the person or company you hire is up to you. Finding the right company or person is going to take a little research on your part.
Here are some tips that may help:
1. Is your home inspector licensed? All Home Inspectors in Alberta are required to be licensed by the province and are required to carry “Errors and Omissions” insurance. Errors and omissions insurance protects the consumer should the inspector make an error, omission or be negligent in carrying out her/his duties.
2. Qualifications?
You have taken the first step of making sure your inspector is licensed, but how experienced is she/he?
How long have they been inspecting and do they have a background in home construction? What does their inspection cover? Do they do moisture checks in the basement? Do they crawl into the attic to inspect the insulation, trusses and underside of the roof? Do they have a checklist that they work from? Can they show you the checklist? What kind of report do they give you? Does the report include comments or do they just “check off” boxes”? Can they give you some examples of problems they have found in other homes they have inspected?
3. References?
Will your prospective Home Inspector provide references? If so, make sure to call them!! You never know what information you will uncover.
4. What to expect.
Although a good inspector can save you from making a bad investment by pointing out problems with the prospective home, the inspector does not have x-ray vision. This is to say that the inspector can only inspect what can be seen. They cannot see what is behind the drywall or behind the siding etc. The inspectors duty is to point out problems that they see or can inspect. They carry equipment that will enable them to look at such things as a furnaces heat exchanger or detect moisture in a basement etc. etc.
At the end of the day a home inspector cannot detect “every” problem, but like a detective, they will be able to hunt down small clues that could lead to big problems. The fee they charge is well worth the cost.
Take off your “rose colored glasses” and view your prospective home objectively. By being prudent yourself, you will be ensuring the house of your dreams is truly that.
If you have a question or comment please forward them. Next week we will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of selling your home yourself.
Kevin Quintal contributed this article. Kevin is a realtor with Re/max Real Estate in Morinville
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