Top Five Things To Look For When Hiring A Home Inspector

By Icon Home Inspections, Inc. |

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The pandemic made it challenging for some industries to handle varying work types, especially for jobs that revolved around in-person meetings. With the spread of the Coronavirus, people were not meeting one another to reduce their chances of catching the virus. The Government additionally passed a series of restrictions stating that people were not allowed to interact with one another in large groups in public. They also pushed for a few additional rules like a mask mandate, making it mandatory to wear masks in public places. There were other rules on maintaining social distance and staying away from crowds.

These changes meant that many people were now spending their time indoors and could not leave for work unless working in essential services. Additionally, many countries went through nationwide lockdowns, which meant people could no longer leave their homes. Companies were unsure how they would complete any work or meet deadlines, so they started getting as much productivity from their staff by encouraging them to work from home. Although not coming into the office was quite challenging, companies were struggling to stay afloat.

Other industries could not get work done remotely. Industries revolving around hospitality, construction, and even home inspections were quite challenging because people were not open to meeting others during the pandemic. With everyone spending a lot of time at home, some were open to inspecting their own homes. However, the job of a home inspector requires a lot of experience, involving an understanding of construction, and the way structures are built. As a company, we work across the board with varying clients, because the inspection job was quite similar for a wide range of buildings and houses. However, the requirements and details of the inspection might change slightly depending on the structures inspected. We worked on residential, commercial, and industrial building inspections for our clients, and we always make sure that they are happy with the outcome. Here are some of the pointers to keep an eye on when getting a home inspector.

1. Education
Some people work so efficiently that they make the task at hand seem very easy. However, the job of a home inspector is anything but easy, with some parts of the house that look fine, actually needing a lot of work or repairs. Some aspects might not need an inspection on paper, but it is relevant that it is well documented because it can affect the house and changes made. Making sure the person picked for the job had a proper education in the line is an important step. Becoming a home inspector is quite simple and needs a course and a certificate. However, if you want to make sure you pick the right person, check out their educational backgrounds. You are always better off selecting someone with experience in construction because the two roles are quite connected.

2. Experience
Another aspect of the person you hire is to make sure they were working in the same line of work for some time before you. Furthermore, get a detailed understanding of the work they handle and some of the constructions, whether houses or anything else they worked on. The last thing anyone wants is for their home to be the test project for the inspector, so make sure you go through their experience before picking them. Finally, you should also know that home inspection is a relevant part of the work done, and they could increase or decrease the value of the house depending on some of the issues found. If you are purchasing a house, you should always make sure the home inspector that you are working with is thorough and knows what they are doing.

3. Training
Before independently beginning work on some houses, home inspectors train with others to see how the process works, which would ideally be the foundation of work they handle. Additionally, some inspectors attend classes or take up added courses so they are better suited for the job or at least have enough information to be considered for it. With the competition out in the market, every inspector should work on making sure they have an edge over others. 

4. Background
If they are connected with jobs like architecture, structural engineers, or worked in any construction field, they would be better qualified as home inspectors because they would be bringing a new skill set to the table. The educational and work backgrounds that the person comes from can give you a better understanding of the type of inspector that they would be. If they do not have any background or only completed a course in home inspection, they might be capable of handling a good inspection but the additional information helps.

5. Reviews
Always go through the reviews when picking someone to handle a job or a task, especially if there is a large sum of money involved. You have to make sure you are going through what others say while reading some reviews and testimonials, giving them enough information about the process. The only people that would be open about the smoothness or challenges with the process are the ones who went through it. Ensure the home inspector that you are working with has a website, with reviews about their work publically available, or you might not have enough information to make up your mind. 

If you are looking for a certified home inspection in London, Ontario, look no further than Icon Home Inspections Inc. We provide our clients with all the information they need to make an informed decision. Additionally, we talk about the aspects of the house or the place we are inspecting, including additional information about features that we foresee acting up. We know this because we were working in similar lines of work for the longest time. We now insist that our clients schedule appointments before meeting us because the pandemic has created very tight rules about the process. We work around the Ontario area, so if you foresee tasks or home inspections that we can assist with, please click here to get in touch with us. If you want a better understanding of the services we provide, please click here

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