1. "Your idea of a home inspection isn't necessarily the same as mine."
You've found the home of your dreams. But cautious consumer that you are, you want a home inspector to take a look at it before you buy. That way, you'll be forewarned about any defects or problems, right? Not necessarily. A home inspector's job is to conduct a visual examination of the physical condition of the house and certain systems within it. The key word here is "visual." That means home inspectors don't have to remove carpets to make sure the floors aren't warped, for example, or drill into walls to check for insulation.
Sure, they'll eyeball your water system for observable leaks or plugged-up drains, but don't count on them to check the septic tank or underground pipes. Most homes have imperfections, and inspectors probably won't catch everything. They're looking for major defects — electricity that's not grounded, air-conditioning or heating systems that are operating in an unsafe manner.
There are things an inspector can't do. "You can't see what's buried under insulation in the attic, you can't check the pipes that are underground," says Barry Stone, a certified home inspector in San Luis Obispo County, Calif., and known as The House Detective.
2. "I'm not climbing up on your roof."
Amazingly, the eyeball rule applies even to the roof. The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), a professional organization with around 5,000 members whose guidelines have been adopted as the industry standard, says its member inspectors must "observe" the roof, but it doesn't say they actually have to go up there.
Even some veteran home inspectors think inspectors should closely check the roof. "A really bad roof can look good from the ground. When you see it at an acute angle, you don't always see the defect. But when looking straight down, you can see it better," Stone says. An inspector can make excuses for not getting to the roof, saying it's fragile or slippery. But there are often ways around those hurdles. Stone says you could set up a ladder to look at the roof without actually stepping on it. Or if you stand far enough away from the house, you can get a better perspective by using high-powered binoculars.
Stone recommends asking an inspector how he checks the roof before hiring him. If he won't go up, for whatever reason, you might want to try someone else.
3. "Training? What training?"
As a rule, who do you think faces more stringent licensing requirements, manicurists or home inspectors? While many home inspectors have years of experience that make them experts at what they do, the only credential some can boast is an ad in the Yellow Pages. In fact, 16 states, including California, still have no regulations for home inspectors, and even those that do don't always require much in the way of training.
- MSN Money: Compare mortgage rates in your city
So if you can't rely on licensing credentials, what should you look for in a home inspector? Finding someone with years of experience is most important, so always ask a prospective inspector how many years he's been doing this work, Stone says. "No school can teach you to be a good home inspector. They can teach you the rudiments of beginning your apprenticeship, but it takes years to become really good at finding defects," he says. And while ASHI accreditation is no guarantee, the group's members do have to pass a national home inspector exam and have 250 inspections under their belt, says David Tamny, ASHI's current president.
4. "I'm more loyal to your real-estate agent than I am to you."
Since many prospective homebuyers are new in town, they naturally turn to their real-estate agent to recommend a home inspector. Not a good idea, says Bill Sutton, owner of Bay Colony Home Inspection Consultants in Milton, Mass. Home inspectors often rely on real-estate agents for referrals, so it's not hard to figure out where their allegiance lies. "As a result, they'll often sugarcoat the inspection," says Sutton.
 | Get a home-inspection checklist |
It often makes sense to hire an inspector who comes recommended by your agent. After all, they are familiar with the inspectors who work in their areas. There are agents who will refer the best inspector to their clients. But there are other agents who don't want to work with those inspectors because they're known as "deal breakers" — they find defects in homes that end up scaring off buyers and scuttling the deal, says Stone.
5. "Oh, you want a real home inspection. Well, that's gonna cost you."
The checklist for a standard home inspection, which starts around $300 to $400, may seem to cover all the basics — but watch out: Even ASHI-approved inspectors aren't required to look for problems with kitchen appliances, fire and lawn sprinkler systems, septic systems, lead paint, radon gas, smoke detectors, (noncentral) air conditioners, pests, and geological and soil conditions. These "extras" nearly always add to your bill.
Still, if the house you're considering isn't connected to city water and sewers, for example, it's essential to inspect the septic system. (Some states, such as Massachusetts, require it.) And depending on your location, you may also need geologic or seawall testing.
Although they're not required to do so, some inspectors will check your appliances. Others, such as Stone, will inspect sprinklers. But for a thorough septic system inspection, which is a very involved job, you would want a specialist. "You have to empty the whole thing and you need to get a septic contractor to do that. The only way you can really inspect it is to pump it out. That's outside the scope of home inspector's work," Stone says.
A radon check, for example, will add $75 to $175 to the baseline price of an inspection. A test for asbestos can be an extra $50.
Become a fan of MSN Real Estate on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
