If you are in the process of buying a home or thinking about buying a home, one of the most important aspects of the buying process is the Home Inspection. Once you have a property under contract you should under all circumstances find a certified home inspector to thouroughly inspect the property. Ten important questions to ask a Home Inspector before you hire them are:

1. How long have you been a home inspector and what certifications do you have?

Inspectors should be able to provide references, certifications and work history upon request. Make sure the inspector has experience before you contract with them.

2. Are you experienced in residential inspections?

Does the inspector have specific residential inspection history. Most inspectors only work in residential but there are commercial and construction inspectors so its important to know what you are getting.

3. How much does the inspection cost?

Inspectors typically charge by the sq. footage of the property and sometimes depending on the age of the property. Most inspections will range in the $300 to $500 range anything outside of that range should be suspect unless the property is extraordinarily small or large.

4. How long does the inspection take?

Again, the size of the property will dictate how long the inspection will take but to have a complete and thorough inspection should take 2 to 3 hours on average.

5. How will the inspector present the report and how long will it take to get?

Inspection reports can be long and complicated so make sure that the inspector you hire will provide you a detailed report that is easy to understand. Most inspectors should be able to get you the full report within a day of the inspection.

6. Does the inspector allow you to be there to observe?

This is important and you want to be able to follow the inspector as he is conducting the inspection. Usually it will take more time for the inspector to finish however you will gain invaluable knowledge of the home by being there.

7. Does the inspector do any follow up or re-visits after repairs are made by the owner?

Some inspectors will actually come back at no charge to re-inspect items that were requested to be repaired. Others may charge a nominal fee but either way, you will want someone who is willing to return to insure repairs were done properly.

8. Does the inspection cover every aspect of the home?

Make sure the inspector is qualified, knowledgeable and willing to inspect every aspect of the home. This includes the roof, plumbing, crawl spaces, electrical, structure etc...

9. Does the inspector belong to any home inspector associations or local boards.

This will usually indicate that the inspector maintains continuing education and remains in the forefront of the industry.

10. Does the inspector have a good working knowledge of the area, including type of home and city codes.

Make sure the inspector typically works that area and/or those type of homes. City codes can vary greatly and older homes can be a lot different than brand new homes.

If you find an inspector that can answer these questions favorably then you should feel comfortable with allowing them to conduct your home inspection. Keep in mind that all houses and condos have issues of some kind, the idea is to make sure that the inspector pinpoints them and then you can decide if those issues are a deal breaker.