Home inspectors are required to provide a range of services relating to the interior and exterior of a property.

A professional home inspection does not come particularly cheap in today’s market. Choosing the right home inspector will begin with asking a few straightforward questions.

It is the responsibility of the home buyer or seller to determine whether a home inspection service has the necessary experience as well as skill and knowledge, while also falling within the budgetary constraints. Let us take a look at some important questions to ask home inspectors.

What will the inspection cover?

One of the most important questions you will need to ask your home inspector is if the home inspection will fully comply with state and local property laws. Before hiring a home inspector, you will naturally want to determine the protocols used, as well as request for a thorough checklist of what the inspection will cover.

How much experience does your home inspector have?

In many cases, real estate agents are incented to suggest a particular home inspections service, one with which they might have worked previously. However, it is the duty of the home buyer or seller to ask a home inspection service about its experience, with regard to the property in question, and its location, and their independence. The home inspector must be able to provide a detailed history of the company’s services, as well as proof of qualifications.

Does your home inspector conduct repairs as well?

This is a tricky question to ask because it naturally assumes a conflict of interest. Home inspection services that also provide renovation and repair services, are incented to uncover deficiencies in a property, so that they can offer their repair services to home buyers. While this may not necessarily be a bad thing, home buyers must be wary of this conflict of interest.

How much will a home inspection cost?

Home inspection costs vary greatly depending on the location of a property, its size and other factors such as the breadth of services that a home inspector will be required to perform. While most home inspection services fall anywhere between $300 and $600, determining the actual cost, without any hidden fees, is an absolute must. It should also be noted that the cost of the inspection service does not necessarily decide quality of the work.