Buying a House? Three Things to Look For in A Good Home Inspector

When you purchase a home you are usually making the biggest investment of your life.  Would you want to take a gamble on your biggest investment?  Of course not.  That’s why you need to find a really good home inspector who can inform you about the true condition of the house you are buying, thereby removing some of the risk.  

Here are three things to look for in a good home inspector:

1. Expertise

Some states do not require any type of licensing or certification for home inspectors. This means that anyone could call themselves a home inspector, show up, look around a house, and then charge your credit card.  Even in many of the states that do require licensing for inspectors the licensing requirements are still minimal.  You need to look for an inspector who is certified through a national organization such as the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), or NACHI (the Nation Association of Certified Home Inspectors).  These organizations have entry requirements and continuing education requirements for all of their members.

2. Time

You want to find an inspector who will take time to answer any questions you have about the home.  If the inspector is too busy to talk to you on the phone or does not want you at the inspection, then find another inspector.  Sometimes inspectors overbook their schedule, thereby leaving a very short window of time for each inspection.  Ask the inspector how long they think the inspection will take.  If they give you an estimate of less than three hours, then find another inspector.  Unless the house is small, a good home inspection will take at least three hours. 

3. Clarity 

Go to the inspector’s website and look at a sample inspection report.  You want to find an inspector who will write a well-organized, easy-to-read report.  Many home inspectors have technical expertise but are lacking in the ability to communicate clearly.  If you can’t understand your inspection report then how will you know the true condition of the house you are considering buying?  An organized report with lots of pictures is essential. 

If you can find a home inspector who is an expert in the field, who will give you his time, and will clearly communicate the true condition of the house, then you will take a big step toward protecting your biggest investment.

This Guy Gave Me a Scare!

Nothing like crawling around in the dark underneath a house and then coming face to face with one of these...  One more reason you want a good home inspector to check out your house.

Things That Make You Jump

Every now and then you run into something during an Atlanta home inspection that will give you a start–a poisonous snake or spider in the crawlspace, an exposed live wire dangling somewhere... and of course that alligator in the attic!  Never know what you'll come across at the next house.  

Might Taste Funny

Do you know what your water is running through to get to the faucet?  This is a picture of a whole house inline water filter.  Unfortunately, the most recent occupant of this house in Marietta never knew it existed because it was located in a remote corner of the crawlspace.  The water coming out of the faucet looked fine.  But as you can see, this filter probably hasn't been changed in a while...  

While home inspectors typically do not test water quality, we can alert you to other conditions that may affect the quality of the water.  One more reason to put your mind at ease with a good home inspection.  

What's in Your Attic?

A lot of people are creeped out by bats. Maybe it's because they've watched too many dracula movies or perhaps it's just because bats look kind of creepy. But there is actually a good reason you don't want a colony of bats hanging out in your attic (like this one we found at a house in Acworth). Bat droppings are the source of an infection called Histoplasmosis.  Histoplasmosis is a disease that results from inhalation of spores of the fungus Histoplasma Capsulatum. The fungus is found in the environment, and breathing in the airborne spores from the fungus can cause lung infections. If left untreated, the infection can spread to other organs, such as the spleen or liver.  Infants are especially susceptible to this infection.

One more reason to hire a good Atlanta home inspector who can put your mind at ease before you purchase your next home.