Flip Tips: How do I find a Home Inspector?
A home inspector can be exceptional at uncovering surprises in a potential house flip. So, don’t take a home inspection lightly! If you are not a qualified general contractor or experienced in home inspections, we recommend you to hire a professional.
Each home inspection service will have an initial cost for their service to identify any minor or major flaws with the property. This is money well spent if it saves you from making a serious financial mistake by selecting the wrong fixer upper or house flip.
Consequently, Flipping Houses requires you to do a full inspection and document all the damages, flaws, or issues, so you can accurately access the cost of repairs.
Here are a few things to consider when selecting your home inspector:
- What is your experience in inspecting potential house flip properties?
- What do they charge for their service?
- Do you have a sample of your report?
- What is included with their service?
- Do they charge extra for septic inspection?
- Where were they trained?
- Are they continuing with their education and where?
- Are they properly insured? And, by whom?
- How long does it take for you to perform your inspection? (If they tell you 1 hour, move on to the next candidate. An average inspection can take approximately 2 to 5 hours depending on the size of the property.)
There are a few good methods for finding the best home inspector. If you are working with a great real estate agent, typically the agent’s home office will have a few referrals of their favorite home inspectors. Or, consider one of these websites to find your next home inspector.
- Home Inspections USA: http://www.homeinspections-usa.com/
- American Society of Home Inspections: http://www.ashi.org/
- HomeInspection.com: http://www.homeinspection.com/
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