If you are buying a home, a high quality home inspection can help you identify potential risks and make an informed decision. Inspecting the physical condition of the home’s systems and components is an important part of buying a home and will provide you with the education you need in order to move forward in the buying process and negotiate any repairs or price reductions. However, with so many home inspectors in Texas, it can often feel challenging to know which inspectors are reputable, honest, and have your best interest in mind. If you are struggling to find a home inspector that fits your needs, consider these tips to narrow down the best inspector fit for you:
Your Realtor has tirelessly dedicated themselves to this industry, and one can safely assume that they have seen it all. They have helped you find exactly what you are looking for in your dream home and have truly proved to have your family’s best interest at heart. So naturally it may come to no surprise that one of your greatest resources for finding a home inspector will be from your real estate agent’s recommendation.
Depending on their amount of time in the industry, your agent should be able to pinpoint an inspector who fits your needs, budget, and home buying experience. They will have experience knowing which home inspection companies do the most reputable job, and which lack in performance. Your Realtor may even have a partnership with an inspection company that helps provide you with extra support and online resources to add more value to your experience.
There is nothing quite as honest as an online review, particularly in the home inspection industry. While researching home inspectors, take the time to visit their Google, Yelp, Facebook, and NextDoor accounts and look at their reviews. Are they averaging fairly high? Are the reviews themselves thought-out and specific, rather than short and suspicious? If there are negative reviews, do you see any patterns or similarities in the issues listed?
If you would like to hear about the experience from beyond the computer screen, you can also reach out directly to the home inspection companies to ask for client references to help you get to know what the process was like for them from beginning to end.
Home inspections are vital to the education and health of your brand new investment. Because of this, a home inspection is not something to be taken lightly. A proper home inspector should be taking the proper steps to remain verified, reputable, and invested in their business.
When exploring home inspection companies, consider asking these questions: How long has the inspector been in business? How many inspections have they performed? The more experience your inspector has, the more likely they will be a master of their profession. Do they want you around for the inspection? An inspector who stresses the importance of the buyer attending the inspection from beginning to end shows that they care about you getting the most out of the experience.
Reach out to the inspectors you are vetting and request if they can send you a sample page of their report. A worthwhile inspector will use color photography, in-depth descriptions, and easy to navigate formatting. Their reports should be laid out in order to be quickly understood by even the most novice home buyer.
Not every inspection report is created equal. At The Home Inspectors, we differentiate by providing reports that are presented and emailed on-site and all of our home inspections come with a lifetime subscription to HomeBinder ($300+ value). Your personal HomeBinder.com account will include your inspection reports and photos, educational videos that cover how to turn off the main water, water heater and gas supplies and how to change your air filter, as well as additional resources and maintenance reminders uploaded to your online binder.
While approach and inspection styles may vary between home inspection companies, we hope these tips help you feel more comfortable and educated in your inspection process.
Your new home is important to you, and we at The Home Inspectors want to be here for you every step of the way. We want to help you make confident, informed decisions about your home through inspections conducted with honesty and integrity.
Ready to schedule a home inspection? Contact us at any of our locations – DFW 972-235-0800, Austin 512-993-5100, San Antonio 210-990-0726, Houston 832-474-2515, Temple/Waco Area 512-993-5100 or schedule your inspection online!
