There is no rule imposing a home inspection before purchasing a house, however, it is a great idea to get a home inspection to ensure there are no issues with the home structure, outlets and appliances before signing ownership. That said, you need to be cautious, as employing the services of a bad home inspector is a gross disadvantage. It means that issues would not be flagged with the seller before purchase and you would be saddled with spending extra cost fixing repairs that should have otherwise been fixed by the seller.
Here is a guide to help you identify a bad home inspector and avoid the consequent crisis.
The Inspector Appears Inexperienced
You should be concerned if you ask questions about what the inspector was presently doing and you don’t receive a satisfactory answer. Of a truth, some inspectors might prefer working alone to having buyers covering around them while they work. However, they are also willing to meet with the buyer to give a report and answer questions regarding the inspection. If your inspector avoids answering questions and communication, whether physically or over the phone, you should be wary of the report given (when you eventually get one).
Ensure your requests are well communicated to the inspector way ahead and if they are not well responded to, consider hiring someone else.
The Inspector Conducts a Drive-by Inspection
Inspectors are expected to spend an ample amount of time working, the standard being at least 2-4 hours (for an inspector working alone), depending on the size of the apartment. A drive-by inspection is therefore one in which the inspector doesn’t spend a sufficient amount of time inspecting the home.
A good inspector examines every part of the home in and out, spending sufficient time inspecting the basement, garage, rooms and even the roof, leaving no stone unturned.
The Inspector Isn’t Thorough
To achieve an excellent inspection, inspectors are expected to be thorough and show due diligence during the examination, time should be spent checking out every space, outlet, and appliance. If your inspector isn’t taking proper notes of everything being checked or appears not to be equipped with sufficient tools to aid proper inspection, you have seen a red flag.
The Inspector Omits Issues You Are Already Aware Of
If an inspector fails to identify issues (minor or not) in the inspection report that you are aware of, chances are that much more issues might have been overlooked. These omissions could be major, requiring prompt attention, you should therefore consider a second opinion.
The Inspector Gives Recommendations Outside His Scope of Expertise
Inspectors are trained and licensed to perform general home inspections only, after which they recommend specialists to examine specific issues. If your inspector gives findings outside the scope of expertise or provided recommendations you know he is not qualified to make, chances are the inspector isn’t entirely trustworthy and getting a second opinion would be a decent idea.
Having established that home inspection saves you a lot of trouble before purchasing a house, hiring a trusted home inspector, therefore, becomes a concern, proving pivotal in your assessment of the apartment.
