How To Avoid Hiring The Wrong Property Inspector!

Nobody works harder for you the client than an inspector who does this for a living, his reputation as an inspector and the reputation of his business is on the line every time he does and inspection. The success of his business depends on exceeding your expectations for quality and professionalism each and every time and you just don’t get that level of service from say a builder who does inspections part time to fill in his week or to find work for his building business. So be sure to get an inspection from a full time professional inspector because he has a vested interest in insuring your total satisfaction.

Also, only a full time inspector with experience can develop the eyes, ears and nose for searching out and identifying problems. Part time inspectors simply don’t have the time in the field to develop that radar. Be sure to ask how many inspections he has done. A quality full time inspector conducts between 400 to 800 inspection annually – blind inspectors doing it part time only conduct up to 200 annually. Conducting 500 inspections each year requires extensive referrals, by past clients, lenders, real estate agents and other industry professionals – so there is a much greater chance of hiring the right inspector.

Being a part time inspector is very different from being a Professional Home Inspector. Home inspectors are responsible for evaluating all the structural components, the thousands of other components that make up the home including everything that opens and closes in the home – not just one aspect like the bricks or framing. To be able to provide a competent evaluation of all these elements takes formal education and training in building construction methods and ongoing training to keep up with the new building techniques of the modern homes, the professional full time inspector will also have a detailed knowledge and understanding of all the various types of house construction throughout the ages.

You should also confirm your inspector has had formal training in building and not just a trade like painting for example. Or did the inspector learn on the job at the Buyers expense?

If the inspector is a one-man part time operation, then who is checking the quality of the inspector’s work?

Engineering and technology in today’s home is becoming more sophisticated all the time. Comprehensive continuing education and training is a must!

If your full time professional inspector is a member of an industry body and a franchise group you can be safe in the knowledge that his standard of work and reports delivered will be considerably higher than the others.

Certifications

While certifications are certainly important, It’s the combination of Experience, Education and Training that make the difference in the competency of your next home inspector.
Certifications let the world know that the inspector can pass a test not that he can inspect a home properly. We all know people who are certified for one thing or another that we wouldn’t hire under any circumstances. There is simply no substitute for experience and proper training.

Home inspectors in the southern states are unlicensed and unregulated, and the quality of their inspection and reports vary greatly. We think no licensing and no regulation of home inspectors is a bad thing, and we regularly hear horror stories about the poor work and reports delivered by the part time home inspectors.

We also want you to know there are some good inspectors out their as well. The good home inspectors are generating quality reports you can rely on, they’re providing true peace of mind for there clients.

The Inspection Report

The top home inspectors in today’s business don’t produce handwritten reports. A professional inspector will provide a combination checklist/narrative report that is consistent with the Australian Standard AS4349.1-2007.

Technology has evolved where you should expect to receive a full-colour report the same day, with digital photographs of the issues discovered during the course of the inspection. The report should provide “Summary Pages” with specific categories like Minor and Major Defects, Safety Issues and Items for further investigations.
Good Inspectors will be able to offer you a range of reports from a Basic Structural Report, Standard full written report, and a Premium Report that includes the Photo Protection Package. If your inspector doesn’t, then choose someone else.
The report should not contain repair costs or action plans for repairs. Professional home inspectors inspect — they don’t repair! An inspector that also does repairs should always be avoided due to the conflict of interest inherent in that situation. Is there really a defect there or is he just looking to fill next weeks work schedule?

Ask for a sample of an inspection report so you’ll know what you can expect for your time and money. After all, you are the client!
The Best Inspections you can get, also provide the new “5 Star Condition Rating” on the home.

However there are only a limited number of inspectors in Australia authorised to deliver this 5 Star Condition Rating.

How Long Has The Inspection Company Been In Business;

Is the inspection company locally owned and operated or are they some far away faceless corporation where no one is monitoring and evaluating the quality of their work?

If you are dealing with a multi-inspector firm, how long has the inspection company been in business?

Does the inspection company have dedicated employees serving as customer service representatives to schedule appointments and provide any needed follow up assistance?

Do they have a dedicated website or are they just a one man show, part timer or fly by night operation with no insurance.

Ask To See What Other Buyers Have Said About The Inspector:

Quality Professional Home Inspectors often receive testimonials you can view from satisfied clients after the completion of the inspection.
Professional Inspectors want to know what they are doing right, as well as what might need improvement. If the inspector can’t or won’t provide client testimonials, he might be blind in more ways than one!

Ask The Hard Questions

If the inspector can’t or wont answer these questions – choose someone else – we don’t want you to be relying on poor quality advice from the wrong home inspector.
• Is home inspecting your only business?
• Do you have professional indemnity insurance, if so can you send me your Certificate Of Currency?
• Can I attend the inspection with you?
• Can you show me a sample report?
• Will the report be completed the same day?
• Do you include the photo protection package?
• What equipment do you use? (minimum standard would be a powerful torch, ladder, moisture meter, spirit level, and digital camera)
• Do you supply the new “5 Star Condition Rating”?
• Do you offer Free building consultancy after the inspection?
• Can you recommend reliable contractors to complete any repairs?

If the inspector can’t or wont answer all these questions – choose someone else – we don’t want you to be relying on poor quality advice from the wrong home inspector.

Your new home is just too valuable to risk hiring the wrong inspector