Home Inspections - What You Need To Know 

Purchasing a house is a large financial endeavor and an investment in your family’s future. A house is more than a place to live or a means of shelter. For most individuals, it is the cornerstone of their life. It’s where the family gathers to celebrate, where the children play and grow and where you feel safe and secure. The house is the place where memories are made.

 One of the many steps in this major real estate purchase is to have a home inspection on your future home. Home owners cannot afford surprises. Everything may look fine on the surface, but there may be trouble lurking. A qualified home inspector will have the experience and training to provide information that will assist the buyer in making an informed decision. Problems that the seller or the Realtor may not be aware of become the financial responsibility of the buyer - if they are not corrected prior to the final sale of the house.

 Currently only about half of the states license or regulate home inspectors. In other states anyone can hang up their shingle and call themselves a home inspector - with no qualifications, training or experience in the field. 

Also, if Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is a concern to your family, a licensed, registered, or certified inspector may not be enough.

 So in this era of rapid home sales and multiple purchase offers, how do you find a qualified home inspector that specializes in IAQ? And once you find one, what can you expect from that home inspector?

What To Expect From A Home Inspection Specializing In IAQ:

During a home inspection, the home inspector will concentrate on the condition and structure of your home, point out observed safety concerns, and concentrate on water infiltration and condensation. The home inspection is a visual inspection of the house - home inspectors do not do any destructive testing, nor can they inspect what they cannot see.

A professional home inspector should, at a minimum, inspect the following items:

• Exterior Home Site

• Building Foundation

• Exterior Home Walls

• Roof Coverings, Flashings & Gutters

• Roof Support Structure

• Attic

• Basement

• Insulation Quality

• Garage

• Electrical

• Visible Interior and Exterior Plumbing

• Central Air and Heating System

• Interior Condition of the Home

Home inspectors are hired by the home purchaser or, in increasing numbers, by the home seller to be a disinterested third party in the real estate transaction. A home inspector should never offer to make the needed repairs to a home nor should they provide you with specific referrals for home repairs or renovations. For any necessary repairs, consumers should hire professionals with no connection to the inspector or with other parties in the real estate transaction.

Home Inspectors are generalists - they need to know the home’s many systems and components and how they work, both independently and together. In addition, they need to understand why and how the system(s) fail, and how that effects IAQ. Consumers should expect a written report to describe the actual condition of the home at the time of the inspection and to provide an indication of the need for major repairs.

Other items of Interest to Home Sellers/Buyers:

What Not To Expect From A Home Inspection

 Home Inspectors do not do any destructive testing, nor do they have x-ray vision. Consumers should not expect their reports to include the condition of every nail, wire or pipe in the home.

The Home Inspector is primarily concerned with pointing out adverse conditions and/or safety related concerns, rather than small or cosmetic items, which are considered readily apparent to the buyers.

 In addition, the homebuyer should not expect the inspector’s report to serve as a guarantee that the home’s components will not ever fail or need repair at some point in the future. No house is perfect – they all need regular maintenance and repair.

How To Find A Qualified Home Inspector

Look in the yellow pages and you will see page after page of home inspectors in some areas. So how do you find a qualified Home Inspector?

At the present time, only about half of the states require that Home Inspectors be licensed. It is because of this lack of licensure, that it is so important for you to choose a home inspector who is certified through national, non-profit professional associations like the National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI) and/or the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). With IAQ concerns, a certification from the Indoor Environmental Standards Organization (IESO) would be recommended.

These home inspectors adhere to the a Standards of Practice/Code of Ethics. These Standards provide a minimum guideline for conducting a home inspection and all members agree to conduct their home inspections in accordance with these Standards of Practice/Code of Ethics. While the Standards provide a minimum guideline for conducting a home inspection, the Code of Ethics sets a standard of professional behavior for members.

Be aware that recently several groups and associations have formed which are capitalizing on the marketing opportunities of this rapidly growing profession. Because of this, it can be extremely difficult to choose a qualified home inspector specializing in IAQ. 

Before a home inspector is hired, we recommend that the consumer, “check him or her out.” Check to see if the inspector is licensed in your state (most states have no licensing requirements), see if the home inspector carries a membership with a national non-profit trade association, such as the National Association of Home Inspectors, Inc. (NAHI), the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), and the Indoor Environmental Standards Organization (IESO)  and if so, call to verify that the individual is a member in good standing. Call the Better Business Bureau, Department of Consumer Affairs, and your local municipalities to see if the inspector and/or inspection company have had any complaints registered against them. It may take a few minutes to check out the individual, but by doing so you are making a better decision in choosing an inspector.

In addition, we recommend that you interview the Home Inspector. Talk to the home inspector and find out what their background is. Can they give you references? Do they carry Errors & Omissions (E&O) insurance? Are they members of a national non-profit trade association for home inspectors? Membership in a non-profit association is a sign that the inspector is serious about his or her job. In

addition, a home inspector must abide by the Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics of the Association. Find out what type of report the inspector uses. Avoid the home inspector that wants to charge you extra for a written report. A written home inspection report is the standard in the industry.

The Home Inspection As An Educational Tool 

We encourage individuals to use the home inspection as a learning tool. We encourage consumers to attend the inspection and ask questions - this provides them with the opportunity to learn more about the home and about any visible defects that might be found.

 Additional Information

For more information about home inspections and IAQ specialists, or to locate a home inspector in your area, visit these websites. 

National Association of Home Inspectors, Inc. (NAHI),  www.nahi.org

American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI),   www.ashi.com

Indoor Environmental Standards Organization (IESO),   www.iestandards.com