Home Inspection Advice

Home inspection advice is free for the asking, as they say. Whether it has real value depends on the experience of the giver and the receptive abilities of the listener, not to mention the motivation behind the suggestions. Professional advice is usually best, but which profession's members should you trust?

The real estate agent pushing a particular home inspector onto the buyer stands to gain a great deal, if the property receives an acceptable rating. No sale, no commission. Accept the advice to get a home inspection, but find an independent inspector--one who's independent of the sale and indifferent to future work from that agent or agency. In addition, the real estate agent who simply walks through a home with you isn't qualified to "pass" the property. It isn't her job. She will make sure the seller fills out the required disclosure form, but that's all.

A building contractor will also have a built-in self-interest in obtaining future referrals from the real estate agency. But whether he built a specific home or not, the contractor won't be familiar with all the systems, because many were sub-contracted, including wiring and plumbing. Someone related to the buyer, regardless of occupation, may not have the expertise or the inclination to spend several hours or more inspecting all systems in or around the home.

Get Advice/Inspection from Certified Inspectors

A certified home inspector is paid the $300 to $400 fee, whether or not the home sells at that time. It is the inspector's job to provide an unbiased, accurate report of his findings. Furthermore, in most states and provinces, it is against the law for the inspector to perform repairs or other work on any property he has inspected. To sum up, a good inspection will pay for itself in peace of mind for buyer and seller.