Choosing the right home inspector
As exterior surface cleaning specialists we clean hundreds and hundreds of residential properties a year. Many of these homes are being cleaned prior to going on the market to be sold and many are being cleaned by new owners wanting to spiff up their newly purchased home. Often times, we are contacted as a direct result of a realtor or a home inspectors suggestion to a seller that their home needs exterior cleaning. Quality home inspectors are a valuable resource for both buyers and sellers and can be worth their weight in gold. To this end, what do you look for when choosing a good home inspector?
A qualified house inspector is the surest way to discover a house's not-so-obvious problems. Most professional inspectors are from some type of construction background, such as engineering, architecture or contracting. Their responsibility is to crawl beneath the floors, squeeze through the attic and generally comb the house's structure and mechanical systems for shortcomings. They give the buyer a complete report; with this, the buyer can decide whether or not the house is a good deal, or at least put together a "punch list" of items that must be fixed (it isn't unusual for this report to contain about 50 items). The fee for this service generally runs from about $300 to $500 and up.
You're usually welcome to accompany the inspector during the inspection; doing so lets you discuss specifics and ask questions about the severity of some concerns. On the other hand, you probably won't want to crawl under the floors with him or her, so it's important to get one you can trust.
You can find house inspectors through the Yellow Pages or by contacting the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), at (85 West Algonquin Rd., Arlington Heights, IL 60005-- phone 847-290-6012). Nationally, 1400 inspectors are members of this trade organization, which requires a minimum level of experience for membership. You can also go to InspectAmerica Home Inspections for more information about home inspectors or to ImproveNet for a searchable database of contractors.
A standard pre-purchase inspection covers a home's major mechanical systems—electrical, plumbing, heating, and cooling—and its construction from roof to foundation, exterior to interior. Overall inspections do not cover soil, pools, wells, septic systems, building code violations or environmental hazards such as lead.
If you are a buyer, include an inspection contingency in your purchase contract; it should allow you up to two weeks to conduct an overall inspection plus any specialized inspections you (or your lender) require. Most inspections cost several hundred dollars. Specialized inspections usually involve an expert and can cost more. Remember, repairs or remedies are negotiable; they also can derail a deal.
| Type of inspection | What it covers | Cost/ who pays |
Remedies |
| Standard pre-purchase | Overall home construction and condition, including major mechanical systems | $200-$500; buyer | Conduct further specialized inspections; repair |
| Wood damage (required by many lenders; check with yours) |
All wood portions of home (interior and exterior) | $75-$200; negotiable | Repair or replace damaged wood; treat for wood-destroying insects or organisms |
| Lead (disclosure required on all homes built before 1978) |
Presence of lead in paint, plumbing or other areas | $400 for basic survey; negotiable | Repair or replace affected areas |
| Radon (disclosure of known elevated levels required) |
Presence of naturally occurring radioactive gas | $150 for basic survey; negotiable | Seal foundation cracks, install a sump pump; ventilate basement or crawl space. |
| Environmental hazards (asbestos, formaldehyde, petroleum, toxic chemicals) |
Presence of any substance in building material, soil, water or air that poses a health risk | Price varies; negotiable | Remove hazardous material, such as asbestos, or source of danger, such as a buried oil tank. |
| Soil | Condition of soil under and around foundation and retaining walls | $300 to $2,000; negotiable | Repair or treat problem |
