My Home Inspector can detect Carbon Monoxide with his Mind Powers!
Hey, you just negotiated a contract for the home of your dreams! What are you going to do now? - Hire a home inspector of course! But before you hire that inspector, you need to know a few things. First of all the home inspector is going to find things that are wrong with the house - that is what you are paying them for. Even in new construction they will find things that are incorrect, need maintenance, etc. So get passed that, "my house is perfect" mentality and get down to reality!
Now, when looking for a whole house inspector, your agent can make some recommendation, but it is important for you to do your own due diligence. Home Inspectors are not licensed in Ohio, so anyone can be a home inspector; it pays to know how to locate a good one, with experience. First of all, there are certifications that home inspectors can get, the most notable are ASHI, American Society of Home Inspectors; NAHI, National Association of Home Inspectors and NACHI, the National Association of Certified Home Inpsectors. Essentially, finding a home inspector that has one of these certifications can go along way to proving their ligitimacy. These certifications are not earned easily, require much effort to maintain and hold them to a higher level of standards. They also, cost quite a bit of money on a yearly basis. Also, have conversations with several, find out how they work; do they provide you with a digital copy? Do they use a computer to put the report together?
I find it very important to educate my buyers on what a report from a Home Inspector means. Think of it like your family Doctor. Your Doctor evaluates you and if they find something wrong they send you to a Specialist. This works the same for home inspectors, if they identify a problem with the HVAC, you probably want to get a an HVAC professional in to have a look and figure out how much it will cost to repair or replace; have an issue with the roof - get a roofer. While this will cost you addition money to have someone come out to the property, it could save you time and money in the long run.
Home inspectors are human, sometimes they make mistakes, sometimes something that they feel is quite a serious issue, turns out to be nothing. Like a recent Inspector that went through one of my listings. This inspector found an issue with the HVAC and stated in his report that there was Carbon Monoxide in the property. Since the buyer did not get an HVAC professional in to look at it, the seller had to set it up. The HVAC inspector found nothing wrong with the unit and No carbon monoxide in the house. Upon further discussion with the home inspector, I was told the home inspector did not use a meter to detect the CO, he was just simply so attuned to it's prescense that his body was able to detect the completely colorless, ordorless gas. He actually told me that he was better at detecting CO than a actual CO meter - OK...Fruit Cake! Oddly enough, this home inspector does not seem to have any certifications. Perhaps just a coincidence. From the sellers perspctive, this buyer has just cost them close to $100 for no reason at all. Not good for negotiations or general happiness in the getting-along-continuim-timeline. We were able to keep the deal together, but lets just say that trust meter twitched a bit for the duration.
Most inspectors don't sniff CO but I always recommend having a conversation with the inspector to get a feel for them because you never know. As a buyer, it is a good idea to be present for the inspection. While the inspector is there they can offer you some valuable insight to the workings of the home. Things like regular furnace maintenance, how to set the water heater for optimum hot water and lower bills. How to maintain the furnace and air conditioner so that they will last as long as possible. This is valuable information you do not want to miss. Plus, they use cool toys! If you are prepared and educated you can get through this crucial step in the home buying process and get to moving in!