There are plenty of home buyers, real estate agents, and even professional contractors who don’t know what professional home inspectors do.
So let me clear the smoke.
There are 2 parts to a professional home inspection:
1st – The discovery of defects.
2nd – The home inspection report.
It’s limited by what the home inspectors can see and test because it’s also visual and non-intrusive (and as badly as we may want to, home inspectors can’t open walls, cause damage, or change the home).
So think of professional home inspectors like your family doctor – they know a little about alot.
If you wake up one day and your lower back hurts so bad you drop to your knees, you will probably think of them first.
When you get to their office, they’ll ask you questions and use their vast general knowledge to point you in the right direction so you get relief fast, which sometimes means sending you to a back doctor.
That’s also how professional home inspectors operate. Their knowledge is shallow and broad.
This lets you check the condition of your new home without having to call 6 different specialists and pay 6 different fees (which would be much more than paying for good home inspectors) and coordinate 6 different schedules for 6 different days and times.
And just like your family doctor, home inspectors will tell you when you should call an expert to get more information to solve a problem outside their understanding.
Plus, you’ll end up deciphering reports by contractors that aren’t written to help you understand the home more than to sell you their services so they can fix the problems they found.
Because professional home inspectors are not only impartial, they’re specially trained to find defects they can see (and NOT see) and skilled in using plain language to put them in perspective so you can make smart choices for yourself.
And that’s basically it.
Your home inspectors should also encourage you to attend and ask questions so you can buy your new home with confidence.
Good luck!
Steve Rodriguez
Owner/Certified Master Inspector®
Bulldog Professional Inspection Services