Don’t wait until you find the perfect WNY home to select your Home Inspector!

Home Inspection Basics

Home Inspection does not have to be a mystery! To many Western New York home buyers feel that the home inspection process is a big mystery. Too often home buyers wait until they find the perfect WNY home to find an inspector.

The purpose of a home inspection is to make sure there aren’t any major hidden issues with a property you’re buying. The inspection report should not be one page documents with a bunch of check boxes. The more detail, the better.

What is Home Inspection?

Home Inspection is defined as the process by which a home inspector observes and provides a written report of the systems and components of a residential building including but not limited to:

• 1. Heating System

• 2. Cooling System

• 3. Plumbing System

• 4. Electrical System

• 5. Structural Components – foundation, roof masonry structure, exterior and interior components or any other related residential building component.

With a Home Inspection being so important, let’s discuss the importance of picking your Home Inspector and some of your expectations of a Home Inspector. First you will need to find a Good Home Inspector. You will need to do some research to assist you in your selection of a home inspector. The time invested in researching Home Inspectors it can really be worth it.

Ways to find a Home Inspector.

• 1. You can do this by asking friends and family

• 2. American Society of Home Inspectors

• 3. Let your fingers do the walking – check out the Yellow Pages

• 4. Google “Home Inspectors City State”

We will be happy to give you list of Western New York Home Inspectors, but the selection of a home inspector is up to you. There are many things you should take into consideration when selecting a potential Home Inspector:

• Take a few moments to interview a couple of Home Inspectors – it is important to feel good about the Home Inspector that your select

• Check their references that they give

• Check the Home Inspector with the Better Business Bureau

• Professional Associations are a great indicator of the Home Inspector’s dedication to their profession:

• o American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI)

• o NACHI (National Association of Certified Home Inspectors)

• o National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI)

Questions to ask potential Home Inspector:

• Are you licensed in NY State? Effective December 31, 2006 all Home Inspectors must be licensed with the NY State Division of Licensing. Check out their Licensing status here.

• What does a home inspection report look like?

• Can I have some references?

• Can I come along during the inspection?

• How long have you been a Home Inspector?

• Are you a full time professional property inspector?

• What can you tell me about yourself and your company?

• Do you carry insurance? Ask them about error-and-omission insurance, which basically covers anything that they miss during the inspection.

• How many inspections do you do in an average year?

• What does your inspection cover?

• How much does the inspection cost? Price is not always a good factor to use when comparing services. The cheapest inspection can turn out to not be such a bargain.

Thinking of selling your Erie County home? Interested in finding out the current market value of your single family home, condo or investment property? Then call www.BestBuffaloHomes.com at (716) 650-0051 to discuss what is happening in today’s Western New York Real Estate Market. We would be happy to give you a personalized Comparative Market Analysis for your home or assist you to purchase a home. View additional WNY Market Area Statistics here.

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All Statistics are gathered from the Buffalo Niagara Association of REALTORS®.

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