Buying

10 Questions to ask a home inspector

If you’re buying a house, you know that your home inspector will check it out to make sure it’s in good shape and there are no latent defects invisible to the untrained eye. But if you want to get to know your home, you need to ask your home inspector some important questions.

When you ask these questions is as important as what you ask. For instance, I always recommend my buyer clients attend the home inspection and ask questions right then and there. So rather than trying to decipher the written report, it’s much easier to show you what’s going on with the house. That’s why we reserve the last 15 minutes or so for you to be there to hear a summary of findings.

I will always have recommendations for home inspectors. Having you screen them is an important step in making a good decision.

To help you get started, here are a 10 important questions to help you know you have a qualified home inspector working for you.

  1. What are your qualifications? (Are you a member of the American Association of Home Inspectors?)
  2. Do you have a current license in Oklahoma?
  3. How many inspections of properties such as this do you do each year?
  4. Do you have a list of past clients I can contact?
  5. Do you carry professional errors and omission insurance? May I have a copy of the policy?
  6. Do you provide any guarantees of your work?
  7. What specifically will the inspection cover?
  8. What type of report will I receive after the inspection?
  9. How long will the inspection take and how long will it take to receive the report?
  10. How much will the inspection cost?

The answers you get should make you feel more confident about the professional who’s giving you in-depth knowledge about your largest financial instrument!

And then here’s more about the home inspection process:

Schedule the home inspection