Most home inspectors are good guys. They mean well and want to protect the home buying clients. However like all people that is a small percentage that may not be as good nor as honest as you want them to be. Below are some tips to help you select a home inspectors.
This is first one is sort of amusing. If your home inspector is using his cell phone as his only flashlight then you may have a bad home inspector. It could be that he is new or that his flashing light got damaged on the way to inspecting your future home. Either way he should have his own great light for seeing well in attic, crawl spaces and anywhere that light does not shine readily.
If your home inspector only tries to open one window per room and or checks only one electrical outlet per room then you may have a bad home inspector. The standards that home inspectors follow states that they are to test a “representative number” such items. I personally think that there is no good reason for only testing one or two when they are are accessible. Testing only a few is lazy. Now, no one can reach all outlets due to stored items and furnishings, however a good inspector will test all that he or she can reach.
Does not get the home inspection report to you for 3 days. This I do not understand. We and many other home inspection companies deliver the home inspection reports the same day or evening that the inspection was done. There are timelines that need to be met. A good inspector or home inspection company will be able to get the report delivered or emailed out the same day.
Does not carry insurance or warranties to protect everyone. E&O insurance is for the event that someone sues the inspector for something major being missed such as a major foundation issue. Warranties are to protect the home buyer if something breaks or fails to work properly shortly after moving in, such as the AC stops working or the sewer line is discovered to be damaged. Habitation Investigation does carry a warranty that protects the home owner in the event the sewer line has a problem discovered shortly after moving in. This is an special protection because the unseen portions of the sewer line which is rarely ever scoped is protected. Look for a home inspection company that offers this warranty and has the 5 year roof leak warranty like Habitation Investigation does.
Zero reviews or negative reviews. If you find a home inspector with zero or very few reviews then you may want to find an inspector or home inspection company with a better track record. One bad review does not mean a company is bad. There are people who will give a negative review for any tiny thing, even for things the inspector had no control of. Look for trends as to if the reviews or good or bad. If the company is the best and most reviewed home inspection company in your area that is a very good sign to use them.
The Habitation Investigation company provides home inspections in the Central Ohio Columbus and home inspection in the Dayton Ohio areas, Hilliard, Powell, Pickerington, Pataskala, New Albany, Delaware, Gahanna, Westerville, Galloway, Grove City, Worthington, Dublin, Marysville, London, West Jefferson, Springfield, Mechanicsburg and other cities surrounding Columbus, Ohio. The most/best reviewed home inspection company in Columbus Ohio is Habitation Investigation LLC. The website is: https://www.homeinspectionsinohio.com Habitation Investigation can also do pool inspections as part of the home inspection
