(1) Get A Home Inspection From A Company That Has Been In Business For Many Years:
Nobody works harder for you, the client than Prestige Home Inspections! The success of the business depends on exceeding your expectations for quality and professionalism each and every time. Be sure to get an inspection from a professional company because they have a vested interest in ensuring your Total Satisfaction!
Also, it takes a full-time inspector at least 300-400 inspections to develop the eyes, ears, and nose for hunting down problems. Part-time home inspectors simply don’t have the time in the field to develop that radar. Be sure to ask how many inspections the inspector conducts annually and how long the company has been in business.
A quality full-time home inspector conducts between 300 and 400 inspections annually – blind inspectors conduct 50 to 100 inspections annually.
Conducting 300-400 inspections each year requires extensive referrals, by prior clients, lenders, real estate agents, and others — so there is a much greater chance the inspector is not blind!
On the other hand, if the inspector is doing three inspections a day, he’s probably not spending the time needed to do a complete job. A complete inspection is going to take around 2 to 4 hours. Anything less and you’re just getting a blind inspection.
(2) Education & Training:
Being a contractor is very different from being a Professional Home Inspector. Home inspectors are responsible for evaluating all of the systems and components of the home — not just one aspect such as the brick or the framing. To be able to provide a competent evaluation of all of these elements takes formal education and training.
Did the inspector attend one of the top home inspection schools in a classroom setting, or did he complete an online correspondence course, or did he just learn to inspect on his own?
Did the inspector take part in a mentoring program with another inspector?
Comprehensive, continuing education and training is a must!
(3) Certifications:
While certifications are certainly important, it’s the combination of Experience, Education, and Training that make the difference in the competency of your next home inspector. Certifications let the world know that the inspector can pass a test, not that he can inspect a home properly. We all know people who are certified for one thing or another that we wouldn’t hire under any circumstances.
There is simply no substitute for experience and proper training.
(4) Advanced Technology:
Buying a home is an extraordinary investment. So why would you want merely an ordinary inspection?
There is no reason to wonder if you’re getting the best inspection if the inspector is using cutting-edge technologies and the proper tools — such as Laser Thermometer, Hand-Held Computer, Moisture Meter, Outlet Testers and Infrared Thermal Imaging Cameras etc.
– Newer technology such as these will uncover “hidden” signs of damage and potential problems that might otherwise go undetected in an “ordinary” inspection.
(5) The Inspection Report:
The top home inspectors in today’s business don’t produce handwritten reports. A professional inspector will provide at least a 30+ page narrative report with digital photos of defects. Not a hand written 10-15 page report that you can’t read because he writes like your doctor.
You should want the report to be written in plain English, not some “Techno-Jargon”- that only the home inspector or engineer can understand.
The report should not contain repair cost estimates. Inspectors should NEVER make repairs or offer to make repairs at a later date.
An inspector that makes repairs should always be avoided due to the conflict of interest inherent in that situation. All national home inspection associations forbid this lack of integrity and objectivity.
Ask for a sample of an inspection report so you’ll know what you can expect for your time and money. After all, you are the client!
(6) The Company That Offers The Cheapest Price Is NOT The Company You Should Hire:
The company that offers the cheapest price is generally showing you a couple of things; 1) they are new or part-time and 2) they really do not know their costs (they will not be in business very long).
If you want a thorough Home Inspection of, what most likely will be, the largest purchase of your life, you will want an experienced professional Home Inspection Company on your side. Hiring a Home Inspection Company with experience that understands that they work for you and no one else is critical. Making sure that you, the buyer, understands the condition of your new property is our first priority. Don’t forget that the home inspection report is one of the biggest negotiating tools between the buyer and seller.
* Inspectors that charge less know less, do less and therefore inspect less. They typically do not carry the technology and tools that are necessary to complete a thorough inspection.
* Prestige Home Inspections always provides an on-site review of our findings with you and make sure that you understand all aspects of the property. The final report, which includes photos, is emailed to you in PDF file by the end of the business day.
(7) Ask To See What Other Home Buyers Have Said About The Inspector:
Prestige Home Inspections ask their clients to give their feedback of the inspection. Professional Inspectors want to know what they are doing right, as well as what might need improvement because you can’t improve what you don’t measure. Check out what others say about Prestige Inspections Our 5-Star Reviews