1. Hire a Home Inspector with lots of experience
It takes a full-time Home Inspector hundreds and hundreds of inspections to develop the eyes, ears and a sense for hunting down problems. Part-time inspectors simply do not have the proper time in the field to develop that radar. Be sure to ask how many inspections he/she performs annually. A quality Home Inspector does at least 300 to 400 inspections annually. Blind inspectors conduct 50 to 100 inspections annually. Conducting 300 to 400 inspections each year requires extensive referrals by prior clients, lenders, real estate agents and others-so there is a much greater chance the inspector is not blind.
• Rod Inspects, LLC conducts 500-700 inspections annually and has been for over FIFTEEN years.
• Rod Inspects, LLC Inspectors all perform over 400 inspections annually.
2. The Company that offers the cheapest price is NOT the company you should hire
The company that offers the cheapest price is generally showing you a couple of things; 1) they are new or part-time and 2) they really do not know their costs (they will not be in business very long). If you want a thorough Home Inspection of, what most likely will be, the largest purchase of your life, you will want an experienced Home Inspection Company on your side. Hiring a Home Inspection Company that has been performing home inspections for years and understands that they are working for you and no one else is critical. Making sure that you, the buyer, understands the condition of your new property is our first priority.
• Home inspectors that charge less, know less, do less and therefore likely inspect less. They typically do not carry the technology and tools that are necessary to complete a thorough inspection.
• Rod Inspects, LLC inputs all findings into a laptop computer when they are observing the condition. This helps eliminate errors. We always provide an on-site review of our findings with you and make sure that you understand all aspects of the property. The final report, which includes digital photos, is emailed to you as a PDF file the morning after the inspection.
3. Education and Training
A contractor and a Professional Home Inspector are very different. Home Inspectors are responsible for evaluating the systems and components of the home—not just one aspect such as the foundation or framing. To be able to provide a competent evaluation of all these systems and components takes formal education and training.
• Rod Inspects, LLC inspectors attend many hours of classroom training each year. In addition, each inspector spends a minimum of 100 inspections training under the owner of the company, insuring consistency and completeness of the inspection process and reporting. Our quality control process is stringent. Our inspectors are all members of the Texas Association of Real Estate Inspectors (TAREI) and the local San Antonio chapter of TAREI and complete many hours of continuing education annually.
Our experience with Rod Inspects was excellent. We were welcomed from the start of the inspection to observe and learn from Rod. The inspection went smoothly and was very thorough. Rod took time and care in going over the results and in educating us on our future new home. We could not have asked for a better experience. – Review of Rod Inspects By Irwin Von
4. Certifications
While certifications are certainly important, it’s the combination of experience, education and training that makes the difference in the competency of your next home inspector. Certification lets the world know that the inspector has sufficient knowledge to pass the testing requirements, but does not confirm his ability to perform a competent inspection in the field. We all know people that are certified for one thing or another that we would not hire under any circumstances.
• There is simply no substitute for experience coupled with proper training. All Inspectors with Rod Inspects, LLC are State Licensed Professional Inspectors.
• Owner and Founder, Rod Stewardson, does not allow the inspector to perform inspections, on their own, until he is beyond satisfied with the inspector’s level of training, knowledge and experience.
5. The Inspection Report
The top home inspectors, in today’s business, do not produce hand-written reports. A professional inspector will provide a comprehensive report using software written specifically for home inspections. You want your report to be in plain English, not language that only home inspectors can understand.
• Rod Stewardson has spent the last 15 years perfecting the software utilized by Rod Inspects, LLC. Take a few moments to review our sample reports. Our reports are detailed and yet easy to navigate. All of our reports include photos.
6. How Long Has The Inspection Company Been In Business
Is the Home Inspection Company locally owned or a faceless corporation where no one is monitoring the quality of their work? How long has the company been in business? Does the Home Inspection Company have dedicated employees performing Home Inspections? Will you be able to call your inspector for follow-up questions and assistance after your Home Inspection?
• Rod Inspects, LLC is locally owned and operated. Rod Stewardson has been in the inspection business since 2002 and has brought on staff, over the years, to meet the demands of the growing company. Our staff is dedicated, friendly and responsive. We understand the demands of “The Real Estate Contract” and the time sensitivity involved. Our inspectors return every call! Even if it is in the evening or weekend. We are always available to answer any questions call us now at (210) 255-3134 and see for yourself.
7. Ask To See What Other Home Buyers Have Said About The Inspector
Quality Professional Home Inspectors request feedback from their clients. Because you cannot improve what you do not measure, professional home inspectors want to know what they are doing right, as well as what may need some improvement. If the inspector cannot or will not provide client referrals, he/she may be blind in more ways than one!
• Rod Inspects, LLC clients gladly provide their feedback and we are happy to share them with you. Take a look at what our clients are saying click here.
