"Home Inspectors" What Does That Title Really Mean?

When preparing you home for sale, many Realtors will advise you to hire a "Home Inspector" and conduct a termite inspection as well.

Home Inspectors will typically check the components in your home, such as the plumbing and electric. They make sure that the electricity responds to basic on/off switches as well as outlets being in working order.  They check to see if there are any plumbing leaks. they also "Inspect" the appliances to be sure that they are in working condition.

A Home Inspector will also go into the crawlspace under the home and look for foundation issues and any kind of moisture that may cause damage. They will also go into the attic area to check for roof leaks and problems with ventilation

When choosing a Home Inspector it's vitally important to have at least 3 referrals from "actual people" What I mean by that is this, make sure the referrals have really used the Home Inspector and can provide you with a cover page to prove they had received a report.

When a Property Inspector is to conduct an inspection in a condo/town home situation be absolutely sure to instruct them to NOT inspect the roof if it is an HOA responsibility. Last year I had hired an Inspector for a condo, and specifically told him NOT to go on the roof, when I arrived, he was on the roof. It was a huge liability. It was even more frustrating when he included it in his report.

More recently a Property Inspector (chosen by a buyer's agent) conducted a property inspection on my listing and mistakenly referred to a "water softener" being in satisfactory condition. The problem was the tank he was talking about was actually a Water Filtration Unit!

There are some excellent Property Inspectors out there. Just make sure they have several years experience and YOU get those refferals