The home inspection is nothing to take lightly. Yes, you want to move forward with purchasing your Long Island dream home. Yes, you are nervous about what a residential inspection might reveal. However, the inspection is a crucial part of protecting you and your real-estate investment. In addition to getting a home inspection, you also want to be sure to hire a quality home inspector. At Inspecticore, we encourage home buyers to ask (at minimum) these five questions before hiring a home inspector.
1. What are your credentials?
A home inspector should be able to back up the company logo with the proper credentials and training. Make sure the inspector is licensed in your state and follows industry standards for home inspections. You may also want to ask what professional organizations or awards the company is affiliated with. While not a requirement, they do show signs of professionalism and industry involvement.
2. What do you cover during an inspection?
Each state has its own standards of practice when it comes to residential inspections. Make sure that the inspector follows these standards, and like our team at Inspecticore, covers the following home features:
- Structure and foundation
- Roof
- Exterior (including siding, gutters, windows, doors, etc.)
- Interior
- Garage
- Insulation
- Major systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC)
- Driveways
- Decks, porches, and patios
If you’re concerned about mold or radon, you may want to ask the inspector whether they offer these specialty inspections in addition to the basics.
3. How long does a typical inspection last?
Your time is valuable, and it’s important that you be present at the home inspection. Therefore, get a good idea how long the inspection will take so you can plan accordingly. Your inspector should be able to give you a ballpark as a professional courtesy. However, remember to build in some flexibility since the length of each inspection is highly dependent on the size of the property, the number of issues that arise, how many questions you have at the inspection, and so on.
4. When can I expect to get the inspection report?
In most cases, you should have an inspection report (either in print or electronically) within 24 hours or so. This is how we do it at Inspecticore because we know that your next steps in your real-estate process depend on that report.
5. What do you include in the inspection report?
When you ask this question, we recommend that you also request a sample report. That way, you can see for yourself the level of detail that the inspector includes, whether the communication is clear, and whether pictures are included. While an inspection report can get quite lengthy, remember that those details are for your benefit, so don’t hire an inspector who doesn’t include them.
To find out more about how we do home inspections or to schedule an inspection, contact Inspecticore today at (516) 524-0673
