Your services do not end when the inspection does
Your services do not end when the inspection does
Choosing a home inspector, like buying cereal, is a process that requires consideration. Cereals may be healthy or sweet, colorful, super-sized, part of a variety pack, or contain gimmicks. Home inspections vary widely in quality, detail and price.
Many cereal varieties have been around for generations and are known for a balance of nutrition and flavor. Similarly, some home inspectors have been in business for many years and are known for their thoroughness and professionalism. Newcomers often attract attention with flashy packaging and introductory prices, but only some will survive.
There are cereal boxes that look healthy with scrumptious pictures of fresh fruit, except that the fruit is not included. Some real estate inspection companies offer a great-looking price, but there are additional fees for checking crawlspaces or older houses.
Some boxes may include toys or gimmicks to entice buyers – which does not improve nutrition. Special tools or technology, such as thermography, drones, or flexible cameras, do not necessarily improve the inspection service. Drones may provide a safer roof inspection, but walking the roof gives an inspector a more comprehensive understanding.
Cereal brands often use sugar and artificial ingredients to improve taste, compromising nutritional value. Inspection reports can be filled with photos, giving an illusion of detail while lacking actual content.
Warehouse clubs may sell your child's favorite brand in a giant box at a bargain price. However, this is not a bargain if your child tires of it after a week and the content goes stale and is wasted. In a like manner, some inspection companies provide discount bundles that look great, until you find your only option is the extra-large package. For example, you may be buying a bungalow, but paying the “discounted” McMansion fee.
Many brands can come in variety packs with multiple small servings. But these packs may contain boxes that family members don't like and won't eat. These packs generate more waste – extra plastic wrapping, extra packaging and potentially wasted uneaten boxes. Likewise, inspection companies may offer multiple packages – for example, home inspection, roof inspection and pest inspection bundles. However, the inspections may be less thorough because of the need to cover the added business overhead.
Cereal boxes may display awards, just as many inspection companies' websites display their association memberships, certificates or awards. But not all associations or awards are equal. Some associations may have no participation requirement and some certificates can be easily obtained.
The best cereal does not always have the fanciest packaging, and the most thorough inspection company does not necessarily use the latest gadgets. So when choosing a home inspector, review sample reports and check knowledge, expertise and experience. Select the inspector that provides the report format and details you need. Remember, the price difference between a quality home inspection and a poor one is negligible over the lifetime of a house.