What to Ask at the Home Inspection

It's easy to get caught up in excitement when you feel you've found the perfect home. A home inspector can provide a sober eye and give you an unbiased view of the home you are buying and any potential problems it might present.

How to Screen for a Home Inspector

Just like in every other industry, you are going to have some professionals who are overqualified, some who are qualified, and some who really aren't qualified. It only makes sense that hiring someone who isn't qualified to complete the job could end up costing you money.

Hiring a bad home inspector, for example, could end up costing you more money than the home inspection was worth in the first place. The question is: how do you spot these bad home inspectors?

You have to keep in mind that just because someone looks official, it does not mean they actually are. Anyone can design a business card and hand it out to people. Anyone can purchase a domain name and build a website. You have to dig past the point of someone looking professional and make sure they actually offer everything they say they offer.

The thing about a good home inspector and a bad home inspector is that you can usually look them up and read reviews about them. People tend to be very verbal about a situation where a home inspector stole money from them or did a poor job. You might find that people are less likely to praise someone for doing a good job.

This is something you need to think about when you are looking for reviews for someone. Just because you cannot find anything about them, it does not mean they are not a bad home inspector. It just means they've never done a job bad enough for someone to complain.

Home inspections are important if you are going to go into the industry of buying and selling houses for profit. Naturally, you want to make sure you hire home inspectors who are going to do the job right.

Be sure to ask your home inspector these questions before and during the inspection process so you know what you are getting into and can make the right decision about the home you want to buy.

How Expensive is the Repair?

Some house problems are alarming; many people are put off when they see an issue that falls under the heading of "health and safety hazards." However, some pressing issues can be fixed with a couple of hundred dollars. At the other end of the spectrum, items that seem like small issues may be prohibitively expensive to repair. While the inspector may not be permitted to make a repair bid, they will probably be able to say whether an issue is a big deal.

What Would You Have Fixed?

Inspectors look at large numbers of houses. They know which problems are the most pressing. During the inspection, they may tell you that some issues need to be fixed right away to prevent further damage to the house. In the case of other issues, they may say that it does not need to be fixed immediately but may become a concern several months or years down the line.

Who Should I Hire to Fix This?

When issues are discovered, ask this question. The inspector may say that the issue is something that you can repair yourself with some supplies from the hardware store and a couple of hours of your time. In other cases, they may be able to recommend qualified professionals who can do the job for you.

How Does This Work?

Every home is different. Your stove, dishwasher, water heater and thermostat may work differently than they did in your previous home. The home inspector can give you a guide to the many systems in your Northwest Edmonton home, including important emergency features like the gas or water shut-off.

Could You Show Me Where This Is?

It's easy to get distracted during a home inspection. Ask your inspector to point out issues that are going into their report. That way, you will know which toilet's wax ring needs replacement and which windows may be prime for replacement. This can save a lot of headaches later on when you decide to deal with any fixable issues in the home inspection report. 

Whose Responsibility is This?

Don't forget that repairs can sometimes be a bargaining tool when you make an offer on the home. The inspector may be able to tell you which ones they usually see buyers ask a seller to handle. 

Having a home inspection performed is a vital part of getting a worry-free home. Be sure to take full advantage of this process to find out what needs to be fixed right away, what can wait and what may be a sign to walk away and look at the next property on your list.