A home is one of the most expensive items you will ever buy, if not the most expensive purchase. Getting your home inspected is an essential step in the home buying process. No one wants to buy a money pit and once you have signed on the dotted line there is no going back.
Your realtor, mortgage agent or friends can recommend a home inspector for you and I strongly advise that you do use a home inspector that has come recommended.
Your home inspector will tell you almost everything you need to know about the home your going to purchase so that you can make an informed decision. Therefore you need to trust this person's advice.
Mike Holmes wrote a great article on "How to inspect your home inspector" that I read on www.canada.com yesterday. This is an excellent read for anyone who will be needing the services of a home inspector.
Mike published a few really good questions you should be asking your home inspector:
Questions to ask your home inspector:
- Can I see your license/professional credentials and proof of insurance?
- How many years’ experience as a home inspector do you have? The business card might say 25 years experience, but at what, exactly?
- How many inspections have you personally done?
- What qualifications do you have? What kind of training do you have? Are you a member of a professional organization? What’s your background?_Construction? Engineering? Plumbing?
- What kind of report do you provide?
- What kind of tools do you use in your inspection?
- Can you give me an idea of what kind of repairs the house may need? And, they’d better not have “a friend” who can do it for you, cheap.
- When do you do the inspection? Let’s hope they don’t have a day job, and can only do them at night when it’s too dark to see the roof.
- How long do your inspections take?
- Do you take pictures of the house and add them to your report?
- Can I see some references? Make sure you ask for them, and check them
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