Good House Inspectors Do Not Come Cheap
Like many things in life, good house inspectors do not come cheap. They have invested in training, in continuing education and in keeping updated with new developments in home construction and in home inspection, so they set their price a little higher than those who did not spend anything to improve their craft.
As a smart home buyer, you know that the money you pay to hire experienced and qualified house inspectors would return to you in the form of satisfaction, peace of mind and avoidance of costly repairs in the future.
You do not have to choose the priciest among the best house inspectors. You can find a home inspection professional who does not charge the highest fee, but who has proofs that he is the best to undertake the home inspection for you.
If you have no idea about home inspection fees or where to find house inspectors, visit home inspection web sites, including the web sites of national house inspection associations like the American Society of Home Inspectors. ASHI is considered the largest professional home inspection in the U.S. and the group with the strictest membership requirements. They require members to pass sets of home inspection examinations and to complete 250 paid inspections.
The other house inspection associations that you can contact are the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors and the National Association of Home Inspectors.
While searching for house inspectors, look also at home inspection checklists so you get an idea of what parts of the house are being inspected by general house inspectors and what parts are left to special house inspectors.
The next step is to check if the house inspectors you are planning to hire are licensed in your state. If your state does not have a licensing policy for house inspectors, then make sure they are members of one of the national or house inspection associations.
When meeting house inspectors, ask them to show samples of the house inspection reports they have completed. From their comments on the reports, you can gauge if they are thorough in inspection or if they are just going through the process without concern for the prospective home buyer.
The house inspection report should have a summary which will help you decide whether to pursue the purchase of the home or walk away from it.
