What to Expect From a Home Inspector

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What to Expect From a Home Inspector

What to Expect

Professional standards. While there are no state of federal guidelines, home inspectors throughout the country are expected to follow the Standards of Practice established by the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), widely recognized as the leading authority in the field. This document specifies all of the components of a home that are to be included in an inspection, from foundation to rooftop. A free copy is available from ASHI by calling 1.800.743.ASHI.

Ethics. To be sure that a home inspector is ethical and professional, consumers should ascertain before the inspection that he or she will not offer to do any repairs on the inspected property, and that the firm has no financial interest in the transaction or in the real estate agent's commission. Any indication of such a conflict of interest should send a red flag to tell the consumers to look for another inspector.

Service. Home inspectors know a home's many systems and how their components work; both independently and together, and they understand why and how they fail. Consumers should expect the written report to describe the actual condition of the home at the time of inspection, based upon visual observation, and to provide an indication of the need for major repairs.

If the selection of a home inspector is made carefully and ahead of time, homebuyers will have one less detail to worry about during the chaos and excitement of finding a new home.