Selecting an Inspector
For most families, the purchase of a home is an emotionally charged event filled with anxiety, hopeful dreams, and sometimes disappointment after moving in. The disappointment can be avoided if you know the true condition of the house that you are buying.
PURPOSE OF THE INSPECTION
The purpose of a home inspection is to reveal undisclosed major systems or components in need of repair that the seller and buyer were unaware of since the purchase offer is usually contingent upon the buyers approval of a professional inspection and report. The quality of the home inspection and report is critical because a buyer must rely on the facts and information gathered in order to make an informed decision.
A professional home inspector has the training and experience necessary to identify all of the major repairs that are needed. The inspector will then either specify the repairs that are needed or recommend further evaluations by a licensed specialist or tradesperson. The inspector works only for the client, usually the purchaser, in a confidential fiduciary relationship much like that of a lawyer and a client. The inspection report cannot be released to anyone but the Client, according to the MA Regulations. A home inspection is not perfect, is limoited, according to the State Standards of Practice and will not necessarily reveal every problem but it is the best thing available to a home buyer.
INSPECTOR IS A GENERALIST
A professional home inspector must have a solid background of multidisciplined training and experience since the inspection includes many diverse fields of expertise such as building construction, roof coverings, heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, site drainage characteristics, structural considerations, electrical wiring etc.
Often, an inspector may be a licensed builder but may not have sufficient knowledge or experience with, for instance, heating systems or aging construction. And, conversely, an inspector licensed in heating and plumbing may not have strong skills in building construction methods.
An inspector should have as much professional and continuing education as possible to be technically competent and stay current with the newer systems and components found in homes today. The more years of experience an inspector has actually inspecting homes and preparing reports the better the inspector.
The real difference in inspectors is their education and experience levels. A senior level inspector will recognise more construction and safety defects in a home than an inspector with less education and experience and will prepare a more detailed report with more information.
BUSINESS AFFILIATIONS
A buyer needs an un-biased report of the condition of a home so watch out for potential conflicts of interest. If an inspector offers his services to repair deficiencies that he has identified or owns a business that provides these services and then recommends using that firm, his deficient findings may be biased.
In addition, Realtors in Massachusetts may not refer home buyers to any one inspector or any short list of inspectors other than the entire list of licensed inspectors which may be found on the state web site. In this way, the state feels that buyers will not be steered to any particular inspector that may be favored by the seller or the sellers agents. The exception to this rule allows a Buyers Broker, a Realtor that is contractualy working in the best interests of the buyer, to recommend a sigle inspector.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
The professional affiliations of an inspector are a measure of technical recognition by his/her colleagues and membership requires technical examination, education and experience requirements as well as adherence to a Standard of Practice and a Code of Ethics.
Home inspectors are now regulated in Massachusetts and must be licensed. Unfortunately, all inspectors that were in business for three years prior to March of 2000 were grandfathered during licensing and were not required to pass an examination that proves their competence.
Certified members of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), however, have passed a six hour examination on defect recognition, report writing and ethical standards and have proved their competance. Individual inspectors, not companies, are Members of the Society and membership in the society is your best assurance of a qualified inspector.
Unfortunately, many companies advertise the ASHI logo as if to say the company is a member of the society and this is an improper use of the logo. The inspector that is the member must have his name written below the logo. Don't be fooled. Ask who the member is and will he be conducting your inspection?
CONTRACT
Contracts are very important to assure proper communication between the inspector and the client. Both parties need a clear understanding of what will be inspected and what will not be inspected, for a certain fee, as well as the limitations and exclusions of an inspection. In Massachusetts, the contract should refer to the State Standards of Practice, and ancillary inspections such as radon gas testing must be handled under a separate contract. When can the inspection be performed? How much time will be spent on the actual inspection? Will the report be a checklist or narrative style or a combination of the two? What kind of detail can I expect? Will the report include photographs of defects? When will the report be completed and delivered? Will the inspector be available for follow up consultation, if needed? These are all important questions that should be addressed together with any special requirements or concerns the buyer may have.
GENERAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE
Home inspectors are required to carry professional liability insurance. Professional Liability insurance protects the inspector against lawful claims arising from an error or omission in the report that has caused property damage within the limitations of the Contract.
PRICE
Inspection companies may use the listing price, square footage of the home or number of rooms to compute a fee. No matter how the fee is computed the price of a home inspection will vary according to the extent and depth of the report contracted for and the expertise of the particular inspector who will conduct the inspection.
Antique homes, homes with two heating systems, "in law" apartments or homes with crawl spaces below grade will be priced higher than a standard home.
Wood destroying insect inspections, radon gas testing, lead paint inspections etc. are priced seperately.
Value is what your shopping for so you can get the "biggest bang for your buck" and buyers must balance quality with price in order to get value. A price that seems too low may indicate that you will not receive a thorough detailed inspection, that the inspector may have little education and experience or that the inspector will not spend a lot of time inspecting the home. The qualifications of the inspector that will actualy do the job is important, because the report will only be as good as the inspector that performs the job.
The qualifications of the inspector, not the firm is what makes the difference. A home inspection is not something that can be reduced to a "cookie cutter" mentality. Remember, "the sweetness of low price may soon be replaced by the bitterness of poor quality."
REPUTATION AND CHEMISTRY
An inspectors reputation is everything. Knowledge, experience, confidence, honesty, recognition by ones colleagues, good communication skills and satisfied customers all add up to a good reputation. A good inspector will not hesitate to provide a list of past customers, attorneys and lenders as references.
The "chemistry" between the buyer and the inspector is also very important. If you feel that you just cannot "connect" with an inspector and feel uncomfortable, don't hire him. Find someone else that makes you feel relaxed and confident about getting what you expect from the inspection.