Home Inspection Blog Posts & Tips

How To Choose The Right Home Inspector For Your Real Estate Transaction



Despite the uncertainty of the response to the COVID pandemic, life happens and you may find yourself in the real estate market for whatever reason. Whether you’re relocating for a new job opportunity, empty nesters, recently widowed, divorced or expecting a post-COVID 19 bundle of joy. If you’re buying or selling your home in the Greater Columbia area of South Carolina, you will need to hire the right home inspector.


For many, the home buying or selling transaction will be the most expensive purchase or transaction of their lifetime. Having a home inspection is your chance to better understand the condition of property that you are planning to purchase or sell. In this short article, we’re going to briefly cover 3 Tips to help you hire the right home inspector for your real estate transaction.



Find Trusted and Quality Home Inspectors in Columbia, SC


First ask your friends, family or colleagues who recently sold or purchased a home for recommendations. Another option is to find referrals through local online communities and business directories such as Yelp and Home Advisor.



Look For A Home Inspector Company That Is Bonded And Insured


Regardless you go with a franchise or decide to support your local small business single inspector, you want to make sure that they are professionally certified, bonded and insured. 

This matters due to the fact that there are certain amounts of risks to the home inspector when climbing in attics and wandering through crawl spaces etc. Working with a insured inspector will give you peace of mind, knowing that you don’t have to worry about being liable if your inspector is injured during the inspection.



Watch Out For Home Inspection Companies That Offer Renovations or Repairs


Choosing a home inspector that is conducting the inspection and also offers repairs, renovations and other such services such as plumbing is that this is a conflict of interest. 

The danger of this is that they are more likely to see problems where there aren't any.

It’s imperative that you have a fair and objective assessment of the state of the house, and not be sold on renovation or other repair services. If you want to narrow down your list of potential home inspectors to hire, choose a home inspector that is solely focused on home and pest inspections. 



Find Out What’s Included In Your Home Inspection


Home owners and sellers in Greater Columbia, Lexington, Irmo South Carolina will have a peace of mind knowing what to expect during your home inspection. Knowing the current state of the home that you’re buying or selling whether it’s good news or bad, gives you valuable information that you can use later to prioritize what repairs to make before placing the home on the market or simply just protect your investment and know what you are getting yourself into.
Keep in mind that no house is perfect! However, the issues that really matter will fall into four categories:


  • Major defects, such as a structural failure;
  • Conditions that can lead to major defects, such as a roof leak;
  • Issues that may hinder your ability to finance, legally occupy, or insure the home if not rectified immediately; and
  • Safety hazards, such as an exposed, live buss bar at the electrical panel.


Anything in these categories should be addressed as soon as possible. Often, a serious problem can be corrected inexpensively to protect both life and property (especially in categories 2 and 4).


Most sellers are honest and are often surprised to learn of defects uncovered during an inspection. It’s important to realize that a seller is under no obligation to repair everything mentioned in your inspection report. No house is perfect. Keep things in perspective. 



Consider Training and Experience


When considering what home inspector to choose, look for a home inspection professional that has been in the field inspecting homes for more than a few years. The more experience the inspector has the more likely they have seen a variety of home and broad range of issues.


What’s The Next Step?


Now that you know what to look for when choosing the right home inspector for a real estate transaction, it’s time to take the first step and find a  trusted & reputable home inspector. 

If you have any questions or concerns about choosing the right home inspector for your upcoming real estate transaction give us a call. Here at S&J Home Inspections we strive to eliminate the stress associated with your home inspection. Which is why we are now offering same-day home and pest inspection. This means that you will have your CL-100 letter and inspection report all in the same day. If you need to save time and money and limit your exposure from multiple transactions, contact to book your home inspection today. 


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