Buying a home?
Here are expert tips
for finding the best person for the job.
Buying a house is the
biggest purchase you'll probably ever make. That's why you want the best
possible home inspector in your corner to tell you whether that cute Colonial
is your dream home … or a lemon with a rotting foundation, termites and a shaky
chimney.
But first, how do you know
if an inspector is rock-solid? There's a lot riding on the person you choose,
after all. "You've got one shot at having the home looked at by a
professional who has a professional eye and professional training to find
defects," says Jim Turner, certified home inspector in Southern
California.
We've grilled the experts
for their top tips on how to find and vet a home inspector.
A messy frontier
There are 20,000 to 30,000 home inspectors nationwide today, estimates Turner, who is also president of the 20-year-old National Association of Home Inspectors, which has about 1,500 members. He says many inspectors were lured into the business by promises of easy money. No wonder would-be homeowners have trouble knowing whom to trust.
There are 20,000 to 30,000 home inspectors nationwide today, estimates Turner, who is also president of the 20-year-old National Association of Home Inspectors, which has about 1,500 members. He says many inspectors were lured into the business by promises of easy money. No wonder would-be homeowners have trouble knowing whom to trust.
Unfortunately, only about
half of states require any kind of certification or licensing for home inspectors.
"For example, in New Mexico , there are no
requirements to being a home inspector," says inspector Bill Richardson,
owner of Albuquerque
However, Turner adds,
"Licensing doesn't solve problems with the industry." He points out
that after licensing was instituted in Texas, the number of inspectors jumped
several fold, as would-be inspectors signed up to benefit from the glow of
respectability that a state license would give them – whether or not they
actually deserved respectability, Turner says.
Tip No. 1: Don't
trust an inspector simply because he or she has a state license or
certification. All states that issue licenses require training, "but the
training may be so minimal that it is ineffective," Turner says.
So now what? Well, move on
to Lesson No. 2.
Tip No. 2: Look
for an inspector who is associated with a professional inspection organization. This can help
weed out the truly fly-by-night inspectors, but it won't catch all the bad
actors. There is an alphabet soup of such groups, with wildly varying criteria
for membership. In one, "you can send them a $60 check and you'll be a
member," says Mike Kuhn, a New
Jersey
Look for affiliation with
groups such as NAHI, the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors,
and the American Society of Home Inspectors. These are
some of the most reputable inspector associations, and their Web sites have a
"find an inspector" service to locate a member in your area.
You can also study several
home inspection organizations' criteria for membership: how many homes a
would-be member must have inspected; how much — if any — continuing
education is required; whether an exam is required for admission, etc. Each is
a little different.
Tip No. 3: Don't
just take your agent's recommendation at face value. Real-estate agents often recommend inspectors to home buyers.
But that arrangement doesn't necessarily serve the home buyer well, since both
agent and inspector have a financial incentive for things to go well: for the
agent, a commission, and for the inspector, the possibility of repeat business
from the agent. "Every single day we walk a razor's edge with that
conflict of interest," Turner acknowledges. He adds, though, that
"the good Realtors are going to recommend an inspector who's not going to
be afraid of what he calls out."
Still, experts suggest some
ways to make sure your interests are served:
·
Don't be monogamous. Get more than one suggestion from your real-estate agent. Turner
suggests asking for three inspectors' names. Richardson
·
Ask the tough questions. "Ask the agent flat out, 'Would you hire any of these to
inspect your home, or your family's home?'" Turner says. "It kind of
puts them on the spot."
Tip No. 4: Grill
him. Once you've got an inspector in your sights, start sniffing
around his résumé and asking questions. "We have a phrase: 'Inspect the
inspector,'" Kuhn says.
Here's what to do:
·
Check for complaints. If your state licenses inspectors, call the licensing board, or
whatever body oversees them (in Florida
Call the professional association to which the inspector belongs and do the same, though Turner concedes that these organizations don't see that many complaints – "maybe a dozen a year."
Call the professional association to which the inspector belongs and do the same, though Turner concedes that these organizations don't see that many complaints – "maybe a dozen a year."
Interview the
inspector. Don't be shy. Here's what to
ask:
·
Talk to me. First, the inspector should make time to talk to you and answer
your questions, Turner says. What should you listen for?
"Hesitation," Turner replies. "If he's professional, the answers
should roll right off his tongue."
·
Let's see the résumé. Ask about the inspector’s credentials and experience. Generally
speaking, "You should have had a hammer in your hand at some point in your
background to have a good grasp of construction," Turner says. Does the
inspector have a professional bio that you can look at?
·
Got insurance? Ask whether the inspector carries “errors and omissions
insurance,” says Kuhn – which is sort of like malpractice insurance for an
inspector. If he doesn’t, ask why. In some states, insurance is a licensing
requirement.
·
Got a guarantee? "Do you offer a guarantee?" Kuhn suggests asking.
Typically, a home inspection is good for the day of the inspection, he says –
but Kuhn's firm, HouseMaster,
offers a written agreement that obligates the inspector to reimburse the
consumer for eligible repairs that may develop during the guarantee period,
regardless of whether it was an oversight on the inspector's part or just
normal wear and tear.
An example: If the furnace is working fine when inspected in summer, but doesn't work when flipped on in November, the inspector's firm pays for the repair, he says. "The bottom line is that a good inspector should have no problem standing behind their inspection with a written guarantee for a reasonable amount of time after the inspection," Kuhn says.
An example: If the furnace is working fine when inspected in summer, but doesn't work when flipped on in November, the inspector's firm pays for the repair, he says. "The bottom line is that a good inspector should have no problem standing behind their inspection with a written guarantee for a reasonable amount of time after the inspection," Kuhn says.
·
Get it in writing. Ask if the inspector puts his findings into a narrative-style
report; that's what you want – not just a long checklist.
Ask to see a sample; it's often available on the inspector's Web site. Look at it to assess whether you're comfortable with the language and can understand it. Also see that the inspector is thorough, and covers all of the areas that the organization he belongs to says he will cover in its standards of practice,Richardson
Ask to see a sample; it's often available on the inspector's Web site. Look at it to assess whether you're comfortable with the language and can understand it. Also see that the inspector is thorough, and covers all of the areas that the organization he belongs to says he will cover in its standards of practice,
·
Invite yourself. Before hiring the inspector, ask to come along when the home is
examined. "Another red flag would be if they don't want you to go on the
home inspection with them," Kuhn says. A home inspection usually takes
three to four hours. Unless a team is examining the home, be suspicious of
anyone who tells you it will take 45 minutes.
With a little inspecting of
your own, you'll likely end up with a home that contains no unhappy surprises.
And that's a happy ending for everyone.
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