The Home Inspector may be the most important person you will deal with you purchase a home. Their assessment of the property is very inexpensive, when you consider the information they provide. The results of the property inspection will help you make an informed decision about the property.
Here are 6 steps to finding the most qualified Home Inspectors near you.
Most Importantly - Ask if they are insured with both Liability and Errors & Omission policies. This is the most important question, because you are hiring this inspector to do a job in someone else's home. If they are not insured this could make you responsible for their actions or accidents that could occur during a home inspection.
2. Ask if they meet all laws and regulations in the State of Ohio and to what national organization they belong.
Are they licensed home inspectors in the State of Ohio? Are they members of InterNACHI (The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors) or ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors). This is an important question because you will know that your inspector has met a minimum standard for the profession and is engaged in continuing education efforts to stay informed and current.
3. Ask what Inspection Report Software they use.
Be sure that you Cincinnati Home Inspector provides a detailed written report with plenty of pictures, not a hand written checklist with standard responses. Ask to see a sample report.
4. Ask what type of equipment or tools will be used.
This is a very CRITICAL point. With all the new equipment like: Thermal Imaging Cameras, Moisture Meters, Thermal Heat Systems, Aerial Drones, Volt Meters, etc; don't let an inspector just walk through and say they couldn't see it with the naked eye, so they couldn't report it.
5. Ask how long a home inspection will take.
This depends on the size and age of the home, of course. But as a rule of thumb, a good home inspection will take at LEAST 3 hours, or more, to properly go through a typical home. There is no possible way to inspect and test all the systems and components in a home in less than 3 hours, and that's for a home less than 2500 sqft. For larger or older homes, it may take 4 hours or more to inspect a home properly.
6. Ask how much the home inspection will cost.
Do you really want to go bargain hunting for an inspector who will do the job for the lowest cost? Or do you want to hire the most qualified home inspector? The difference in price compared to your potential exposure could be very costly, due to the inspector not being up-to-date on education or available equipment to do the most detailed inspection possible. A low budget or outdated inspector could cost you thousands of dollars in repairs. Remember when choosing an Inspector; It's you money. It's your investment. So do your homework and hire the most qualified and committed Home Inspector!
LiteHouse Inspect is fully licensed and insured in the State of Ohio for residential home inspections and can show you proof. We use state of the art TapInspect software to generate our reports and use multiple current and modern tools in our inspections (like drones, thermal cameras, moisture meters, etc.) Our inspections typically take 3-4 hours to perform the thorough job that we pride ourselves in and make sure that our clients are getting the best inspection and experience possible. Schedule your inspection with LiteHouse Inspect today! We'll guide you home.