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Counsumer Guide to Hiring a Honest Professional Home InspectorARE HOME INSPECTORS LICENSEDIn New Jersey, Home inspection are required to be licensed by the state. Many NJ home inspectors are not licensed, even though the law has required them to be since 2005. Just like every other profession a license is a minimum qualification. Consumers are cautioned to obtain and review a resume for the individual who will be performing their home inspection. Each home inspector will have a different set of life experiences, education and home inspection experience. WHY HAVE A HOME INSPECTED? The purpose of obtaining a home inspection is to help a buyer find out all the problems that exist before the sale is completed. Buying a new home in New Jersey is a major investment. Obtaining an accurate inspection by an experienced professional who "tells it like it is" should be the goal of any home buyer. Home Inspection Coupon WHAT IS INSPECTED DURING A HOME INSPECTION? A home inspection covers very specific areas of the home. Defined by New Jersey law and regulation it is a visual, functional, non-invasive inspection conducted without moving personal property, furniture, equipment, plants, soil, snow, ice or debris. The inspector uses mandatory equipment to evaluate the readily-accessible residential building elements, structural components, exterior components, roofing system, plumbing system, electrical system, heating system, cooling system, interior components, insulation components and ventilation system, fireplaces and soil fuel burning appliances, but excludes recreational facilities and outbuildings other than garages or carports. IS A HOME INSPECTION A WARRANTY? A home inspection is not a warranty or guarantee of the conditions in the home. A home inspection helps to inform the client of the conditions of the home, but the inspection cannot eliminate, find or disclose all problems during a visual and functional inspection. WHAT ARE THE LIMITATIONS? There are some important limitations of the inspection that consumers should understand including, accessibility, availability for visual inspection without requiring moving of personal property, dismantling, destructive measures or any other action which will likely involve risk to person or property. IS IT A HOME INSPECTION A CODE INSPECTION? Home inspections are not a code inspection nor can an inspector compel the sellers to take action. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A HOME INSPECTION? To provide information to the consumer regarding conditions that are readily ascertainable during a home inspection that substantially affect the value, habitability or safety of the dwelling, or function of a system or component. A home inspection does not include stylistic, cosmetic, or aesthetic aspects of the system, structure, or component. WHAT IS AN INSPECTION REPORT? It discloses the systems and components that are designated for inspection and those present at the time of the inspection or are not inspected and the reason(s) why they are not inspected. The report must also describe material defects that substantially affect the value, habitability or safety of the dwelling, or function of a system or component, for the purpose of advising the client of the need for appropriate action found in systems or components and the reason the home inspector reported that a system or component contained a defect. HOW ARE DEFECTS REPORTED? Where defects are found that substantially affect the value, habitability or safety of the dwelling, or function of a system or component, general recommendations are made to repair, replace or monitor a system or component, or to obtain examination and analysis by a qualified professional, tradesman or service technician. HOW TO PICK A HOME INSPECTOR? Home buyers should make sure they select a home inspector who is working for them. Home inspectors should not allow others concerned with the transaction to influence how inspection findings are conveyed to you, reward or compensate anyone for referring clients. Home inspectors who obtain inspection referrals from real estate agents may find it more difficult to remember who their client is. WHAT QUALIFICATIONS SHOULD I LOOK FOR? There is a steep learning curve for new inspectors. Make sure you hire the most experienced inspector you can! It takes a few years to learn how to inspect a home. Look for an inspector with many years of experience who is willing to answer your questions, because you are likely to have many. Hiring an inspector with an office staff is a big plus, as questions and problems may arise for which you will need rapid answers! As a home buyer, you should search for a highly qualified and experienced home inspector who is an honest professional. Buyers should find a home inspector who takes the time to explain how your home functions in plain language that you can understand. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO PERFORM A HOME INSPECTION? A home inspection usually takes about six hours for the average home ( ½ hour travel to the home, inspectors usually arrive a ½ hr early, 2 to 3 hours at the home with you, ½ hour back to office, 1 hour to type the report, ½ hour to print copy and post the report to the web site, ½ hour back to the home to pick up the radon canister, ½ hour back to the office and ½ hour for the time spent at the home picking up the radon canister and final paperwork). HOW MUCH IS AN INSPECTION? Home inspections are inexpensive. If you buying a $350,000 home and the inspection fee is around $600, the inspection fee is less than 0.18% of the cost of the home! The cost of a quality home inspection is a bargain! WHAT IS INDEPENDENCE? Truly independent home inspectors do not rely on real estate agents for referrals. Although this drastically increases independent home inspectors marketing efforts and expenses (costs that must be passed on to clients) clients save money because the benefits clients receive far outweigh the additional initial expense of the home inspection. WHAT PERSON TO HIRE? Hiring a thorough and patient inspector will pay off when the inspector takes time to explain everything you need to know about your new home to you and answer your questions! Sometimes paying a little more for an experienced inspector will be a great value as the peace of mind you obtain is well worth it. Hiring a more experienced inspector can also produce short term savings during negotiations with the seller and long term savings since problems with the home can be remedied before additional damages are incurred. WHERE TO GET REFERRALS? Obtaining a referral from your attorney is recommended. Your attorney is likely to know what home inspectors take the honest professional business approach (Telling clients what they need to hear during their home inspection). Home buyers who use home inspectors recommended by the real estate agent selling a home to them may be unaware of the potential for a conflict of interest.
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