Protect yourself from unexpected repair costs by investing in a home inspection before you buy. Not only can a qualified ASHI home inspector save you money in the long run, but many lending and insurance institutions require an inspection as part of the home buying process.
HOME INSPECTOR - BUYER BEWARE
Here are some things your home inspector may not tell you.
1. Lack of Insurance:
Even the best home inspectors can make mistakes, and the things they miss can wind up causing you major problems. Surprisingly, California does not require home inspectors to carry insurance, and even those with insurance requirements in place may not do enough to protect the client.
Typically, a home inspector's liability tops out at the cost of the inspection. That means that if your inspector misses a major issue, you could be out thousands. To make sure you'll be protected by a home inspection oversight, choose an inspector who carries "Errors and Omissions" coverage. These policies go beyond the basic liability insurance.
2. Illegal to offer repairs:
In fact, California Law and the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) forbids soliciting repair work based on the results of an inspection performed.
To protect your pocket book, keep inspection and repair work separate, and beware of inspectors who offer their services for other tasks.
3. Inspection of the House only.
As his or her title suggests, your home inspector is looking at the condition of your house, not the grounds or surrounding features. This means he's unlikely to spot problems beyond those on the interior or exterior of the house itself, leaving you vulnerable to issues with outbuildings or fences. Unfortunately, these elements often represent a fairly major expense.
If you're buying a home that includes a large number of outbuildings or other outdoor features, be sure to negotiate these items into the inspection checklist. If your inspector isn't willing to cooperate, or feels ill-equipped to handle these types of structures, consider hiring an inspector who's more experienced in this type of work.
4. What is Thorough?
In most U.S. States, there are very few standards in place to determine which items should be covered during a home inspection, in California both CREIA and ASHI standards are referenced. Rather than leave the scope of your home inspection up to the inspector, take the time to hammer out an agreement ahead of time so both parties know exactly what's covered. If you need ideas, look for free checklists provided by the American Society of Home Inspectors at ASHI.org.
5. Finding an inspector through your real estate agent?
Real estate agents often provide recommendations to help clients choose a home inspector. However, with many home inspectors relying on real estate agents for referrals, it may not be in your best interest to blindly follow your agent's advice. These home inspectors know that pointing out flaws in a home can result in a price reduction, or may even kill the deal. To stay on the good side of a real estate agent, some unscrupulous home inspectors might be tempted to ignore or minimize potential problems, which can cost you big money.
Protect yourself by choosing a home inspector who's completely independent from your real estate agent. This way, you're guaranteed that these two professionals will have your best interests at heart, instead of each others'. To find a qualified inspector visit ashi.org.
Of course, if you trust your real estate agent, feel free to give his or her recommendations a shot. Just make sure to vet each potential inspector as an ASHI certified inspector, on your own before agreeing to a deal.
6. What is hidden?
The biggest and most expensive home repair issues are often those hidden away behind your walls or floor coverings. Rotted wood or old wiring can cost big bucks to replace, yet even the best home inspectors probably won't notice these problems.
This is because most home inspections are non-invasive, which means they don't extend beyond the finished surface. An inspector may peel up the edge of a carpet to check the subfloor below, but he won't be able to do the same for ceramic tile, or for items hidden in walls or ceilings. To make his job even harder, unethical homeowners or investors may use paint or other materials to cover up water damage just long enough to get through the inspection and selling process. While there's little you can do to protect yourself from these risks, a trusted home inspector can help you gather as much information as possible as you decide on your purchase.
7. Are we qualified?
California has no certification or training program in place for housing inspectors. This means that a so-called home inspector may have just about as much experience as you do at evaluating the condition of a house.
Steer clear of these inexperienced inspectors and look for professionals certified by a trusted organization within the home inspection industry. The American Society of Home Inspectors requires applicants to inspect at least 250 houses in order to earn membership.
To weed out the inexperienced candidates, ask each inspector about his or her previous experience with residential home inspections and verify that they are certified by ASHI.
8. Not a code inspection.
A code inspection can only be legally done by a local city building inspector; not a home inspector.
Be sure to visit your local city building website or office to review all code paperwork for your property. A home that's not up to code leaves you vulnerable to both safety and financial risks. It means that your family won't benefit from all the latest safety standards and technologies. It also leaves you footing the bill for code compliance on renovation or repair work. For example, if you decide to add a home addition in the future, you'll likely be required to bring the house up to code first. For big issues like wiring and plumbing, these costs could easily run into the thousands.
9. Safety issues.
The majority of home inspectors do a great job sniffing out problems with a home's basic structure or systems. In some cases, however, more serious issues can easily slip through the cracks. Asbestos, lead, mold, radon and other dangers are typically not covered by home inspections In many states, inspectors require special licensing and training to deal with these types of problems. Even in states where no special certifications are required, the average home inspector is simply not equipped to detect mold, radon, asbestos or lead. Others may purposely exclude these high-risk elements because of the extreme liability associated with them.
If you're concerned about mold, lead paint, radon or asbestos tile, find a home inspector who is willing and able to handle these elements.
10. Cheaper is better.
See items 1 through 9.
Steve Zivolich, M.A., the owner/operator of Guaranteed Property Inspection and Mold Investigation Inc. has been providing property and environmental inspections for over 13 years in Orange County and Southern California.
Steve Z. has performed over 6,000 home inspections, mold, energy and environmental inspections and is fully certified and insured to meet all your inspection needs. He personally provides all field inspection services and as a result is able to maintain the highest Better Business Bureau rating of A+.
Steve has extensive training and years of experience as a home, mold, energy and environmental inspector that will guarantee that you receive the most thorough, state of the art and comprehensive inspection that follows current industry standards of practice and codes of ethics, a true value and education at a fair price. He conducts every inspection, as if he were moving his own family into the property. Steve also backs up every home inspection with a 90 day warranty, that is purchased on your behalf from American Home Warranty Association.
Unlike other home inspection companies, who will need to refer you to an environmental and/or energy audit contractor, Steve is a nationally certified expert that can handle the job without making you jump through hoops to hire additional people before the end of your inspection period, including the areas of: mold, asbestos, allergens, child safety, radon, formaldehyde, energy, EMF, water quality, and VOC's. As a result of his advanced training, he is able to offer a FREE energy audit and FREE mold investigation as well, with each home inspection.
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Please take the time to read through Steve's home inspector credentials and qualifications as this is so important when hiring an inspector. Don't focus on price alone, focus on value, quality, experience and professionalism. When you hire an inspector, any inspector, you are hiring their individual knowledge, experience and qualifications so make sure you hire the best, not just the cheapest. We are confident that you will be Steve's next satisfied customer.
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