Tips for Choosing the Best Home Inspector

1. Tips for Choosing the Best Home Inspector When shopping for your dream home, most buyers first look at the homes outside and inside features such as its layout and floor plan, style, finishing’s, appliances and color patterns. Based on this, it is easy to fall in love with a home at first sight. Although those components are the first thing you look for when choosing a home to put an offer on, it is equally as important to do a deeper dive behind the walls, into the foundation, frame, and structural components to ensure the home will hold its value long term without being full of expensive surprises. This is where hiring a Calgary home inspector is critical! However, just like most occupations, not all home inspectors are the same. Even though they have the same title and designation, there are many other factors to consider before selecting which home inspection company to use to evaluate the property you’re considering. Here are few tips that you can use to ensure you hire the best home inspector. TIPS FOR CHOOSING THE BEST HOME INSPECTOR REFERENCES/REVIEWS –References are a fantastic way to ensure the Calgary Home Inspector you are considering is the best choice. Often a realtor will suggest their top 3 choices to you which is a great place to begin. However, in today’s online world, one way to get references from other homeowners/sellers in your area is to checkout an inspectors Google reviews. These reviews are written by past customers and realtors who have worked with the home inspector and who are providing honest feedback for the public to see. We recommend you look at a variety of reviews

2. and note key points mentioned by several customers. If you see the same remark several times, it is a great indicator that the inspector consistently shows this attribute. We also recommend you find an inspector with recent reviews (In the last 2-4 weeks) so that you are getting the most up to date and relevant opinions. EXPERIENCE & BACKGROUND –As a prospective home buyer, it is important to make sure your home inspector is qualified. Unfortunately, becoming a home inspector is much easier than many people believe. In fact, some courses take less than 2 weeks to be complete. That is why ensuring your home inspector has a licensed and trained background in construction can be a major asset. If your inspector has no experience building homes, it is difficult for them to understand exactly what goes on behind the walls and the root cause for certain issues as it is difficult to critique something one has never done or seen being done. When an inspector does in fact have a background in home building or construction, they understand the process of building a home from the ground up and have a much stronger understanding of why certain elements of a home must be done one way versus another. This experience often allows them to understand the consequence of not following protocols first hand while enabling them to recommend the best solution. CERTIFIED –Although we mentioned above that it is fairly easy to be certified as a Calgary home inspector, it is still important to ensure the company you choose does possess these certifications. This shows they have passed the provincial standardized tests & contain the knowledge deemed important by the governing body in your area. It also helps protect you as the home buyer in the future should any issues arise. THEY INVITE YOU TO JOIN THEM ON THE INSPECTION –Most quality home inspectors are more than happy to have you join them throughout their inspection. This actually allows them to discuss different elements of the home with you while they are evaluating it while also explaining any implications of negative findings. Unfortunately, some home inspectors try to do their inspections in private and avoid you accompanying them. This is a red flag and should be taken very seriously. DETAILED INSPECTION REPORTS –It is important to view a sample report from the inspector and compare it to others. Reports can come in many forms, however, the best home inspectors will use high end software to provide their reports for clients. By using this software created by the best home inspection companies, a home inspector can provide you with more detail about your home in an easy to access, presentable way. It is also a good sign that the inspector is investing in his or her business with the goal of making the experience better for his clients. A proper report should cover all aspects of your home including components of your home like electrical system, heating and cooling system, plumbing system, attics, basements, crawls spaces and other appliances. Every report should include both text and pictures that is easy to understand for both home

3. owners and contractors should you need a repair. Here is a link to our sample inspection report for your reference. Now you should be armed with the knowledge and information to make the best choice when selecting a Calgary home inspector for your next property inspection.The team at Red Seal Inspection is proud to be a trusted home inspector in Calgary and if you would like to get a quote on your next project, you can do so here. Source: http://www.imfaceplate.com/christinahopkins/tips-for-choosing-the-best-home-inspector