Congratulations, you've found the perfect house to buy! Right about now, you are probably on information overload, and looking for resources to get everything ready. One of the most important steps you need to take after getting that ratified contract is to get the house inspected. Like most subjects on the internet, there is a ton of information about house inspections, and how to hire them. If you were hiring a home inspector Columbus GA to inspect a house for your out-of-state family member, what questions would you ask them?
What are your certifications? If you are in one of the many states where house inspectors are licensed, that is just a minimum level to be able to do the job. As a group, we will look for a house examiner that has taken the time to get extra certifications above and beyond the minimum. There are multiple house inspection organizations (both national and local) that offer certifications for examiners.
Full time inspector. First of all ask your house assessor if he is a full time assessor or a part time assessor. It is important to know that because this will help you to know how seriously he takes up his profession. For a Quality House Inspection you need a full time house assessor.
Many examiners offer what they call a "walk-through" inspection. Though inexpensive, the examiner is not going to go on the roof, or in the attic or crawlspace. Unfortunately, these are the very places where major (read expensive) problems are likely to occur. The inspection may be cheap, but you're probably not going to find out anything about the house you don't already know.
Are you available after you send the report for questions and/or clarification? This was one of the most popular questions I received from the examiners I talked to. We all strive to write a report that explains all of the issues as clearly as possible, but sometimes things may not make sense to you. Being able to call or email your examiner with questions after the inspection is critical, especially if you can't make it to the inspection.
Charges. You must also know the charges that the assessor quotes for House Inspections Services. Sometimes there are major problems quoted by the assessor that needs to be taken care of on a priority basis. When the sellers make the necessary changes and make the house as per the required standards you can ask your assessor to visit again and inspect. But it is important for you to know whether he will charge for revisit or not as some assessors charge for re-inspection and some don't.
Hopefully the answer is only one or two. Most examiners will do a morning and an afternoon inspection. Some will add in an evening inspection. If it gets over three, start to worry about how long they are spending on your inspection. Most inspections will take 2-3 hours for an average size house.
What extra services can you provide? Michael Conrad II, at Diligent, in Nashville, TN points out that you should check with the examiner to see if they offer any other inspection services, such as Thermal Imaging, bug, and rodent examinations. This can help you in many ways, since not only do you get all of the inspections you need from one company, it allows your inspector to look at the whole house as a system and provide the best assessment of the house.
What are your certifications? If you are in one of the many states where house inspectors are licensed, that is just a minimum level to be able to do the job. As a group, we will look for a house examiner that has taken the time to get extra certifications above and beyond the minimum. There are multiple house inspection organizations (both national and local) that offer certifications for examiners.
Full time inspector. First of all ask your house assessor if he is a full time assessor or a part time assessor. It is important to know that because this will help you to know how seriously he takes up his profession. For a Quality House Inspection you need a full time house assessor.
Many examiners offer what they call a "walk-through" inspection. Though inexpensive, the examiner is not going to go on the roof, or in the attic or crawlspace. Unfortunately, these are the very places where major (read expensive) problems are likely to occur. The inspection may be cheap, but you're probably not going to find out anything about the house you don't already know.
Are you available after you send the report for questions and/or clarification? This was one of the most popular questions I received from the examiners I talked to. We all strive to write a report that explains all of the issues as clearly as possible, but sometimes things may not make sense to you. Being able to call or email your examiner with questions after the inspection is critical, especially if you can't make it to the inspection.
Charges. You must also know the charges that the assessor quotes for House Inspections Services. Sometimes there are major problems quoted by the assessor that needs to be taken care of on a priority basis. When the sellers make the necessary changes and make the house as per the required standards you can ask your assessor to visit again and inspect. But it is important for you to know whether he will charge for revisit or not as some assessors charge for re-inspection and some don't.
Hopefully the answer is only one or two. Most examiners will do a morning and an afternoon inspection. Some will add in an evening inspection. If it gets over three, start to worry about how long they are spending on your inspection. Most inspections will take 2-3 hours for an average size house.
What extra services can you provide? Michael Conrad II, at Diligent, in Nashville, TN points out that you should check with the examiner to see if they offer any other inspection services, such as Thermal Imaging, bug, and rodent examinations. This can help you in many ways, since not only do you get all of the inspections you need from one company, it allows your inspector to look at the whole house as a system and provide the best assessment of the house.
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