How Do You Find the Right Inspector?

Birmingham Real Estate Podcast

You shouldn’t overlook the importance of a home inspector when buying a house. How do you find the right one for you?

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When you hire a home inspector, there are few distinct things you need to know.

First and foremost, the answer to the question “Should we hire a home inspector?” is absolutely yes. You also get to choose the home inspector. We will recommend a list of home inspectors to you if you want, because you need to hire a professional, not your uncle or cousin.

A professional inspector will give you pictures that we can use to negotiate repairs on the house. If we don’t have that official formalized report, it’s much harder to do these negotiations on your behalf.

Not all inspectors are created equal.

So how do you choose an inspector and what questions should you ask? The one you hire will be based on conversations you have and how comfortable you are with them in helping you protect the future of your investment. You want to ask things like whether they actually get up on the roof or if they just take photos. Do they actually go up and find out what’s going on in the attic? Also, ask them how they test things like electrical systems and heating and AC.

Finally, realize that not all home inspectors are created equal. As you talk with them, compare costs to the value they present to you. An inspector may charge less, but they might not get in the attic or up on the roof, for example.

If you need a recommendation for a good inspector or you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in the Birmingham market, give us a call or send us an email. We’d be happy to help you!