My New Blog

June 18th, 2010 7:54 AM
Are you planning to get a home inspection in Maplewood /SouthOrange/ Millburn/ShortHills, NJ soon? One thing that is often overlooked about home inspectors is their relative inequality with regard to knowledge, experience and forensic skills. The purpose of a home inspector is to discover and report defects. The ability to do this effectively involves skills that take many years to develop and refine. Some inspectors are far better at this than others. Unfortunately, most people don't realize this when they hire a home inspector, and spend little, if any, time selecting one. In most cases, people hire the inspector who is recommended by their agent. Those recommendations are sometimes good ones, but sometimes they are not.

Another problem is price shopping. Some homebuyers simply call a list of inspectors to see who charges the least. No consideration is given for possible quality differences, just price variations. Instead of asking for a price quote, buyers should inquire about experience and qualifications. Questions such as "How long have you been a home inspector?" and "How many homes have you inspected?" are far more important than "How much do you charge?" In fact, the home inspector with the highest price may cost the least in the long run.

If your home inspector missed serious defects that were visible at the time of the inspection, you probably did not hire the best inspector available in your area. A home inspection can be a highly beneficial experience or a low disappointment. It all depends on which inspector you hire. Whether you have recourse against the inspector depends on whether the defects were visible during the inspection.

Here's a tip for next time. Real estate agents know who the best home inspectors are. Some recommend the best inspectors, but others will not risk the deal on a thorough inspection. So take the time to check out home inspectors. Find one who is highly experienced and who has a reputation for thoroughness.


Posted by Robert Northfield on June 18th, 2010 7:54 AMPost a Comment (0)

Subscribe to this blog
Recent Posts:

Archive:

My Favorite Blogs:

Sites That Link to This Blog:

Maplewood, Short Hills, South Orange, Summit, and Millburn real estate and homes for sale in New Jersey - Robert Northfield, Realtor


Robert Northfield of Coldwell Bankers Residential Brokerage 145 Maplewood Ave Maplewood/Millburn/South Orange, NJ 07040
Phone: Fax:

Why an inspection? | ResultsforYou | Why Choose Me! | Curb Appeal List | Get the Highest Price | Free Home Valuation | Our Towns | Testimonials | RobertRadio | Sellers Mistakes | New Listing Alert | Search for Home | Maplewood Homes | South Orange Homes | Short Hills/Millburn Homes | Luxury Homes | Maplewood Village | South Orange Village | Millburn ShortHills | Concierge | Inspection Tips | For Buyers | Tell a Friend | Selling Your Home | Home | Staging | Heart of the Matter | Site Map | Fixed Rate Mtg Calc | Staging Your Home | Reasons homes don't sell | Improvements That Pay | My Blog

Copyright © 2012 Robert Northfield of Coldwell Bankers Residential Brokerage
Portions Copyright © 2012 a la mode, inc.
Another XSite by a la mode, inc. | Admin LoginTerms of UseSite Map
All rate, payment, and area information are estimates and approximations only.