Home Inspections

How much do you charge? Isn't this usually the firsts question perspective home buyers ask a home inspector? Actually,asking the inspector about their qualifications and experience should be the first questions.

In home inspection, it's safe to say that one size does not fit all. All homes are different and all home inspectors are different. If your home is an older home, the inspection may take several hours. Many web sites state that a home inspection can run from $175 to $300, but this fee is based on an inspector performing 2 to 3 inspection per day, and while in some instances this is doable and acceptable, you shouldn't use it as a standard since a thorough inspection and report can take up to 5 to 6 hours. A home inspection price is quoted using several different criteria and methods; quotes can be a flat fee, they can be based on square footage of the living area or square feet under the roof.

Still others will base their fee on the price of your home or how much time they spend inspecting the home. Does your home have an detached garage? An inspector may or may not charge for its inspection, but will include the square footage of it in his overall price. A detached garage can also be considered as an outbuilding and the inspector will charge for its inspection. Every home has its own unique optional items; some inspectors will charge for some of them others won't charge for options like pools or septic systems. As you can see, there is as much variation in a home inspection as there is in homes themselves.

Let's talk money and put home inspection fees into perspective. If you're buying a home in the range of $400,000 and the inspection fee is $700.00, that's less than 2% of the cost of the house. When you realize that most realtors charge 3% to 6% to sell a home, you're talking $12,000 to $24,000 for your $400,000 home. Put that way, a home inspection is a real bargain.

If the home inspection doesn't turn up any problems, then you've bought peace of mind; if it does bring to light some serious concerns, you've saved yourself many thousands of dollars down the road. There's really no way you can lose if you have your home inspected by a competent home inspector. You'll learn the condition of the property and what kind of repairs you might be in for. Your inspector can also educate you on recommended ways to keep the house in good shape and keep all of the major systems running smoothly.

A professional home inspector will identify problems, off er solutions, and give you cost estimates for any major repairs/replacements. This kind of knowledge is invaluable to a homeowner and well worth the money.