Common Mistakes People Make When Hiring A Home Inspector

A home inspector is one of the most important professionals you engage with when buying a house. Their advice will help you make an educated decision about the home you are considering. However, despite knowing the benefits of having an experienced inspector in your corner, buyers commit some fundament errors that end up costing them dearly.

To help you get the most reliable home inspection services and avoid some crucial mistakes, Glass Eye Home Inspections has put together a list of the most common mistakes people make when hiring a home inspector.

1. Going for the least expensive home-inspector.

The first thing that most customers ask when hiring a home inspector is how much he or she charges. They completely ignore the quality of service of a home inspector, which is the most damaging mistake they can make. Most first time home buyers think that they should hire the least expensive home inspector to save money, which is a huge mistake. Moreover, many people believe that all home inspectors are the same and there is no reason to pay more. Keep in mind that a competent home inspector may not be the cheapest one, but he will ensure that you will not end up making a mistake when buying a home.

2. Neither listening to the realtor nor the lawyer.

Often people don’t listen to either the realtor or the lawyer. This is despite the fact that both these professionals have immense experience in reading home inspection reports. They can see the difference in home-inspectors based on their reports. In our view, it is a mistake when people don’t consult either the realtor or the lawyer, and they start using Google to find a home inspector.

3. Not accompanying the inspector during the inspection.

At times, people rely only on a home inspector’s report, which is a mistake. They ask why they should waste their time when they can just read a report, which is a wrong approach. If you go with a home inspector, you can ask him or her questions about a house. As you walk through the house, a home inspector will point out things for you. For example, if the basement has a musty odor, you can try and pinpoint the cause. It’s very possible that the first time you saw the house, it didn’t rain, but, it rained just the night before the inspection, and now the basement has an odor, which you can’t stand. If you were not there, then you would have only read about it in the report.

4. Not ordering a tank sweep.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is not ordering a tank sweep when getting a home inspected. A tank sweep is done by a company, which checks the grounds for an existing oil tank, which could still be buried underground. Most banks want this test done before they can give you a housing loan. In case, a house has a gas heat but it did have an oil heat at some point, there are chances that the tank is still there. People often neglect it thinking who cares as it’s disconnected and is underground. This is a big mistake. If you decide to sell your house and the new buyer does care about tank sweep, then you better hope that the tank did not leak oil into the soil. If it did, then you can lose the deal, and you may have to spend thousands of dollars to remove the soil. Some people spent $8,000 to $30,000 for this job. So get the tank sweep done and have no future worries.

If you need a home inspection, reach out to the InterNACHI certified home inspectors in Roselle Park, NJ. At Glass Eye Home Inspections, we deliver quality home inspection services to clients across Elizabeth, Roselle Park, Middletown, Brick, Trenton, Union, Newark, Hillside, and Toms River NJ. Our services include full home inspection, pre-listing inspection, and radon testing. We have a home inspection license as well as a home builder’s license.

For a complete list of services, please click here. If you have any questions about home inspection, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us here.