What To Ask When Calling A Home Inspector Before Buying A Home

Now that you have found a home that you are really interested in buying, you might be ready to call a home inspector as soon as possible. Before you schedule an appointment, however, there will probably be a few questions that you will want to ask. These are some of the things that you should ask when calling a home inspector.

Are You Certified?

First of all, you should make sure that the home inspector that you hire is properly trained and qualified. You'll also probably want to choose a home inspector who is certified to inspect homes in your area.

How Long Have You Been in the Business?

Someone who has been inspecting homes for many years might be able to work more quickly and might be more adept at finding problems with homes than someone who is still fairly new to the industry. Therefore, one important question that you will probably want to ask is how long the home inspector has been in the business.

What Types of Homes Do You Typically Inspect?

Of course, you'll want to make sure that the home inspector that you hire has experience with inspecting similar homes to what you are planning on buying. There are certain concerns with mobile homes that you don't usually have to worry about with stick-built homes, for example, so if you are purchasing a mobile home, you will probably want to hire a home inspector who regularly does inspections on mobile homes. If you are buying a luxury home, then you might be concerned about whether or not the home inspector will be familiar with the higher-end finishes and if they are used to inspecting homes with so much square footage. In this case, choosing a home inspector that regularly inspects luxury homes can be the better idea.

How Much Will You Charge?

Even if you have to pay a higher price to have a home inspected before you buy it, you will probably find that it's worth it. You might be required by your lender to have a home inspection done before you can get approved for your mortgage anyway, and you will definitely want to know about any problems that might be present with the home before you buy it. However, you will still probably want to ask about the cost of the home inspection before scheduling an appointment. You may want to ask the seller if they are willing to help cover the cost of the home inspection. In some cases, motivated sellers are more than happy to do so.

To learn more, contact a resource that offers home inspections.