No
matter how many times you've toured your new house, there
will always be something that you're going to miss. Why kick
yourself later when you can hire someone to make sure that
everything's up to snuff?
You need to find a good home inspector. He's going to give
you information that will either set your mind at ease, send
you back to the negotiating table, or send you back to the
hunt. In any event, it's critical information.
Here are some helpful tips on finding the best inspector:
If
you're using a buyer broker, ask her to recommend
someone. Don't take the advice of a traditional broker.
While their counsel would probably be OK, don't forget
that she's representing the other guy, not you, in
the transaction. For more information on buyer brokers,
check out The Buyer Broker.
Check out any
prospective inspectors with the professional association
of independent home inspectors, the ASHI (not to be
confused with either SUSHI or SASHIMI, which are Japanese
raw fish dishes). ASHI stands for the American Society
of Home Inspectors, and members must abide by a certain
code of conduct and have attained a certain level
of training and experience. Make sure your guy is
one of them.
Ask if he carries
errors and omissions insurance. If he were to miss
something big, this "oops" policy will help
make amends when you find it later on.
Find out exactly
what is covered in the inspection. You want to know
the skinny on all of the property's major structural
and mechanical systems, from top to bottom.
Ask if you can
come along on the inspection. If he says no, go with
someone else. When you find someone who says yes,
go with him and watch what he does.
Ask for references.
This is a must. Anyone who refuses to give references
should be crossed off your list. You might hear, "But
I respect the privacy of my clients. Surely you can
understand that." Don't fall for it. Any professional
will be happy to supply the names of happy customers.
Finally, check our home inspection checklist. You might use
this when you're first interviewing the inspector, to get
an idea of what he's going to check. Make sure you get a heads-up
on all the listed items.
If the place passes muster, and you obtain your financing,
you're ready to close on the house. That means you're actually
going to buy this thing. And that means you've got to be ready
for closing costs.
