A Boston area home inspection may not necessarily be required, but it’s usually a good idea and a popular recommendation from industry insiders and real estate agents. However, hiring the right inspection company or home inspector is very important.

Because home inspection horror stories can and do happen, some prospective buyers seek the expertise of two home inspectors — the real estate equivalent of the proverbial “second opinion.” In this case, each inspector can act to double-check each other.

Hiring a Qualified Boston Area Home Inspection Company

Beware of these tell-tale signs (red flags) that you’ve hired the wrong home inspector.

If your home inspector insists on working alone, it could be a sign that he’s not doing a thorough job and isn’t fully communicating potential issues or problems to you. It’s best to at least be present while he conducts the inspection. Many times even if he doesn’t rate a specific area of your home as needing future maintenance or repair, he may, at a minimum, comment on shoddy workmanship or poor-quality repairs that you may otherwise not know about.

The inspector isn’t properly licensed. If you’re having a Boston area home inspection performed, you’ll want to make sure your inspector is licensed in the state where the home is located. This may be especially prevalent if you live close to a neighboring state. Chance are the inspector will be licensed in both states… but don’t automatically assume that to be the case. Most importantly, if your home inspector isn’t licensed, the inspection carries no legitimacy with respect to recommended repairs used as negotiation tools with the seller.

The inspector’s communication regarding building codes is unclear or confusing. Let’s be honest, unless you’re familiar with building codes and regulations, you’re relying solely on the inspector to explain and notate them as they relate to your Boston area home inspection. A good inspector will indicate various items or areas of the home that may need future attention and include a footnote as an explanation of what the code requires to “back up” his findings. Because building codes are always changing and evolving. It’s important for an inspector to explain what he means if, for example, he indicates on his report that many of the home components don’t, meet the building codes when in fact the only homes that would do so are ones built very recently.

For more articles pertaining to a Boston area home inspection, see the Boston Home Inspection section of our site below Boston Real Estate Categories in the column to your right.

Remember, we also post tips daily on Twitter and we’re also on Facebook. We’d love for you to check us out there as well.

A Boston area home inspection is not only a good idea, but it’s usually a requirement before purchasing. The purpose of a home inspection is to check out all the basic elements of the home. A good home inspector will make recommendations if he sees something that needs attention or isn’t quite up to par.

Consider These Boston Area Home Inspection Parts

• The Structure – The home should be on a solid foundation and should include a strong frame for optimum support.
• Interior Elements – The doors, walls, floors and windows should be in good repair.
• Roofing – The roof shouldn’t have missing or loose shingles, or aging components that would weaken the roof or lead to leaks or decay.
• Systems in Good Condition – Interior working conveniences such as plumbing, heating and cooling, electrical, and appliances should be in good shape and functioning at their highest capacity.

Finding a reliable Boston area home inspector is a “must-do” thing when buying a home.

A thorough home inspection can help to uncover hidden damage and shine some light on potentially costly future repairs. But home inspections aren’t just completed to keep the buyer safe — they can help to protect the real estate professional too. Informed buyers are more likely to be satisfied with their purchase and, as a result, they’ll be far less likely to come back to haunt you after the sale closes.

Make sure any Boston area home inspector you decide to hire is professional and qualified, will do a thorough job, and won’t be afraid to crawl under the house to make sure the floor isn’t about to cave in!

7 Questions To Help Evaluate a Boston Area Home Inspector

1 – Are you licensed? – Some states don’t have any licensing requirements, so be sure to ask if the Boston area home inspector you’re considering is licensed or not.

2 – What Credentials Do You Have? – There are a number of professional organizations that provide credentials, including ASHI and NAHI. Watch out for those who claim a “company certification” or any type of “in-house accreditation system” that’s not subject to overriding industry standards.

3 – How Much Experience Do You Have? – The NAHI and ASHI require a minimum of 250 inspections. Many industry professionals say that finding someone who has performed at least 1,000 inspections and has three to five years of full-time experience is important. When browsing the home inspector’s website, watch out for wording designed to make it look like they have more experience than they actually do. Remember, “industry experience” doesn’t necessarily mean experience actually inspecting homes.

4 – Are You Insured? – Even the best inspectors can make mistakes. It’s important to ask for proof of insurance for both errors and omissions and general liability. Always avoid inspectors who aren’t insured, and watch out for inspectors who severely limit their liability coverage.

5 – Do You Offer a Guarantee? – Does the Boston area home inspector stand by his report? Does he offer any guarantees? Some home inspectors offer optional 90-day warranties that will help cover repairs or replacement costs. Be sure to check into such offers, paying special attention to the fine print and exclusions.

6 – Do You Have Sample Reports? – This will help you to gauge how thorough their inspections will be. Most any reputable Boston area home inspector will be more than happy to provide you with one if they don’t already have one displayed on their website.

7 – How Long Will Your Inspection Take? – According to ASHI, a home inspection can take two to four hours or longer, depending upon the size of the home. Watch out for inspectors who offer “specials” for one-hour inspections—anything less than two hours may be an indicator of a less-than-thorough job.

Get more information as it pertains to finding a Boston area home inspector in our section on Boston Home Inspections to your right under Boston Real Estate Categories.

Remember, we post tips daily to Twitter, and also on our Facebook Page. We’d love you to check us out there too.

Getting a Boston area home inspection is not just for buyers after the sale. If you’re selling, getting a Boston area home inspection before you even list is super important. In a effort to get the sale finalized in a short period of time you may be tempted to forgo a Boston area home inspection. This is a bad move and should never be omitted from home listing procedure.

Reasons a Boston Area Home Inspection is Important Before Listing

There are a number of reasons why a Boston area home inspection is important before even listing your home for sale. One of the chief reasons is that it helps your buyers to view you as an honest seller. This makes the process more amicable as fears of being swindled are reduced.

Home inspections are required by law in some jurisdictions. This means that selling without getting one may void the contract. In this case it’s better to err on the side of safety so if you are not certain what the laws in your area require, get the inspection done. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Getting a Boston area home inspection done also protects your interests. It may uncover previously undiscovered advantages in your home that enhance its value. This gives you more power at the bargaining table. Imagine being able to increase your asking price by a hefty sum because your home inspector discovered something new about the home. The home inspector can also offer tips on improvements that need to be made and these improvements may enable you to increase your asking price.

On the flip side, getting a Boston area home inspection can serve as a heads up. If glaring serious flaws, such as a damp foundation, are highlighted you can decide to get them repaired before placing the unit on the market or reduce your asking price to compensate for the flaw. Failure to do this could lead to you wasting your time and efforts as buyer after buyer turns down your home after getting it inspected themselves and determining that for the asking price there are simply too many flaws. You are also protected from asking for an unrealistic price and having the unit avoided like the plague because of a ridiculous asking price.

You are also protected from unfounded post sale claims by a Boston area home inspection. This means that if a fault emerges after the sale and your home inspection report does not support this flaw then the buyer cannot approach you for repairs to be done. Many times a seller is pummeled by requests to make repairs and adjustments to solve problems that simply did not exist prior to the sale of the property, and they have no grounds on which to claim that the faults are new. You don’t want to be forced to use the proceeds of the sale of your home to pay for renovation to a home that is no longer yours.

So before you finalize that deal for the purchase of the home you selected from among the many attractive homes on the market, call a Boston area home inspector to check out the property you are trying to sell. Protect yourself and your family from unnecessary problems.

Get more tips and articles pertaining to a Boston area home inspection over in the Boston Home Inspection section of our site below Boston Real Estate Categories in the column to your right.

Remember, we also post daily on our Facebook Page, and over at Twitter. We’d love you to check us out there too.

There are lots of reasons for selling a Boston area home, but there are many reasons why getting the home inspected first can be a key selling feature to buyers.

Why Get An Inspection Before Selling a Boston Area Home?

One of the biggest reasons for getting your home inspected before you even put it on the market is, it helps your buyers see you as an honest seller. This makes the process more amicable as fears of being swindled are reduced and a certain trust factor is established right up front.

Getting a home inspection done if you’re selling a Boston area home also protects your interests. Many people fear getting a home inspection because it may reveal detrimental things about the house that need to be fixed. On the other hand, it may uncover advantages in your home that enhance its value that no one knew about before. This gives you more power at the bargaining table. Imagine being able to increase your asking price because your home inspector discovered something new about the building. The home inspector can also offer tips on improvements that need to be made. Often time these improvements may enable you to increase your asking price for a lot less than having a buyer find the problem and request that you reduce the price when they make an offer.

On the flip side, getting a home inspection can serve as a heads up. If there are major issues, such as a damp basement, these are highlighted so you can get them taken care of before putting the property on the market or reduce your asking price to compensate for the flaw. Failure to do this could lead to you wasting your time and efforts. Buyer after buyer may turn down your property after getting the place inspected themselves. They may decide that for the asking price there are simply too many flaws and things to be fixed. You are also protected from asking for an unrealistic price and having the unit avoided like the plague because of an asking price that is just too high.

You’re also protected from unfounded claims by a home inspection after an offer is made. This means if a defect emerges after the sale and your home inspection report does not support this flaw then you have your inspection to fall back on supporting your side of the deal. No need to be forced to use the proceeds of the sale of your home to effect renovation to a home that is no longer yours.

If you’re thinking of selling a Boston area home, call a home inspector to check out the property first. Protect yourself and your family from unnecessary problems.

Find more news articles as they relate to selling a Boston area home in the Boston Home Selling Tips section under Boston Real Estate Categories to your right. And find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for daily updates we post there as well.