How To Find A Good Home Inspector
If you’re getting ready rent out your home in Utah’s Dixie, it’s crucial that you get a quality home inspection first. Although a home inspection is typically required if you’re buying a home, it’s still a good idea to get one if you have a home for rent in Utah. An inspection will ensure that your house is up to code.
A Quality Home Inspector Will Thoroughly Check Every Inch of Your Home
They will measure its overall structure stability along with any present or potential dangers.
What to Consider When Hiring a Quality Home Inspector
Do your diligence and your homework. Although a number of home buyers often hire a home inspector through their realtor, as a home renter, you can also hire one on your own if you choose to. Ask to see their state certification or membership proof in the NACHI, (National Associations of Certified Home Inspectors), ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors), or NAHI (National Association of Home Inspectors).- Ask for proof of insurance and licensing. If your state demands that all home inspectors have a license, ask to see it and also ask about their general liability insurance in addition to E&O (errors and omissions) insurance as well.
- Hire a home inspector with experience. Although both ASHI and NAHI require at least 250 home inspections, most experts agree that it’s better to hire one who’s done a minimum of 1,000 inspections along with 3-5 years of experience behind them for best results.
- Take their fees into consideration. Most home inspections usually cost anywhere between $300 to $450 and generally take about 3 or 4 hours to complete. The total cost of a home inspection will vary according to certain factors such as the size of the home and the age.
Understanding How a Home Inspection Works
Get directly involved with your inspection. Although you don’t have to be present during the inspection itself, you do need to be there once it’s complete in order to discuss the inspector’s findings.
Insist on a detailed and thorough inspection. The role of a good home inspector is to check for all problems from top-to-bottom in the home including:
- Electrical safety issues (old wiring)
- Roof damage
- Incorrectly vented chimney flues (fire hazards)
- Major appliance and plumbing issues
- Hot water heater and HVAC system issues
Note: Home inspectors should physically check both the crawlspace and attic.
Read the home inspector’s report. Many home inspectors offer a report on the same day as the inspection itself. Ideally, the report should be easy to understand and very thorough and include detailed narrative accounts of anything the inspector discovered. Remember that no house is 100 percent perfect and you should, therefore, anticipate a few issues to come up.
Once the home inspection is complete and you look over the report, don’t be afraid to ask questions concerning any issue. An experienced home inspector will likely answer all your questions and may even have some good recommendations. Be sure the home inspector clearly explains which issues are top priority versus ones that are less important and can hold off until a later date.
