This is
often the first (and wrong) question prospective home buyers ask
home inspectors. What if someone answered the phone and said: "I
am the newest and least experienced inspector in the area, I provide
a cheap hard to read hand written checklist with no photos and the
only way I can get business is by charging less than all the other
inspectors." Okay, maybe you won't hear that actual statement,
but what is an inspector really saying when he states:
"My home inspection fee is $100 less than most other Massachusetts,
New Hampshire or Maine home inspectors".
You have
spent a lot of time researching for the place you will call home,
but how much time will you spend researching for a
good
home inspector? Can you really afford the cheapest, most
inexperienced person to inspect the most expensive purchase you will
ever make? Isn't the inspector's qualifications and home inspection
experience more important? Although some inspectors claim 25 years
experience, in some cases it's not 25
years of home inspection experience. What kind of testing equipment
will the inspector be using? What kind of report is provided? Have
you viewed a sample report? Does it include photo documentation? Be
sure to compare apples to apples.
Have you
verified that the inspector has a valid
Massachusetts Home Inspector's license? Does the company or
inspector have any complaints on record at the Massachusetts
Attorney General's Office? Have you called the AG's hotline (617)
727-8400 to find out? Be aware that if you are buying a home in
Rhode Island, Maine or New Hampshire there are no licensing requirements for home
inspectors in those states. Have you visited the web site for
The American Society of Home
Inspectors (ASHI) to verify that the inspector is a member?
Assuming you
have done the aforementioned, now the question about the home
inspection fee can be asked, however, there are a lot of factors
involved in calculating the fee. This includes the inspector's level
of experience, qualifications, and talent. The type of report
produced and the size, design and age of the property also has to be
figured in. Some so called "informational" web sites state that home
inspection fees run from $200 to $350, however, these "low" fees are
based on an inspector doing 2 or 3 inspections per day and
completing on-the-spot checklist type reports.
What kind of
inspection report do you get from an inspector who does 3
inspections per day? You will receive an on-site average 14-page
checklist report with illegible hand written comments. It will
not convey the inspector's findings for the reader in a manner so
that he or she can understand their significance and make educated
decisions. I perform only one home inspection per day. I
spend 2-3 hours on site gathering facts and taking pictures, then I
spend another 3-4 hours in the office preparing a written narrative
report with graphic illustrations and color photographs specific for
your needs. My narrative report uses the English language to
both document, describe and disclose each system in the home in a
manner that you can understand and use to take action. My
reports are delivered by Email, and a bound hard copy is priority
mailed the next business day. My
narrative reports are my best means of advertising as clients are proud
to show them to friends and relatives as a valuable reference.
Hiring a true professional home inspector to represent you will cost
more, but it will give your peace of mind during the purchase
process.
The cost of a MA home inspection
is a bargain compared to the sale price.
If the owner of a house is willing to pay a real estate agent
$15,000 to $30,000 to sell the house, how much are you willing to
pay to find out the true condition of the property?
The real
value of an inspection and report should be measured by its
usefulness. If a home inspection report fails to help a prospective
buyer fully understand what they are buying or if it doesn't provide
accurate, detailed information, which the client could use in the
real estate negotiation process, what good is it? Click on the
"testimonial" area of my home page to
read what clients of Allsafe Home Inspection Service, Inc. have said about their home
inspection experience.
