Home inspection are an important part of the home sale process, both for buyers and sellers. When it is time for you to hire a home inspector, here are five things you should be thinking about:
1. It’s your choice: You are not bound or obligated to use any particular home inspection professional. Your real estate professional may have some recommendations, but it is ultimately up to you. Ask around and choose wisely better to pay a little more now for a highly-respected home inspector than to be surprised by a problem that the home inspection didn’t reveal.
2. Looking for big problems: The home inspection professional will be focused on the integrity of the home safety, electrical work, foundation, load-bearing walls, etc. Home Inspections are not to point out problems with ugly paint colors or light fixtures.
3. The report: There are hundreds of items to inspect during home inspections, so the inspector’s report will focus on the basics: What’s damaged, what needs repaired, etc. The report should be easy to read and understand.
4. Code of ethics: Though the inspector is working for the party that pays the home inspection fee, the inspector will not deliver a report that intentionally hides or omits damaging information about the home. The report is private between you and the inspector, but if you are the seller, you are required to disclose any problems that the inspection reveals.
5. The inspector is not liable: Even the best inspectors can’t find every single problem in a home. They can’t see inside the walls or through the floors, so there could still be problems lurking. If a problem is revealed down the road, the inspector ca’ t be held responsible.
Here is my list of home inspectors in Central Arkansas. Here is the Arkansas Home Inspector Registration Board’s list of registered home inspectors.
To learn more about buying your first home or about me, check out my bio.