Questions to ask home inspectors during home inspections

Home inspection clients are unsure what questions to ask during home inspections. One mistake is failing to ask any question you may have. I can assure you if you feel your question is too silly to ask you should ask it anyway. Chances I can answer it and put your mind at ease.

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Home inspection questions to ask

I can count on one hand the times I have been asked one of these important questions.

First question you should ask is one that I have yet to be asked by any home buyer since 1993 despite having 8,000 or so clients (except by a few who have read this). You should ask "May I please see your home inspectors license"?
Please ask, I have been carrying ID's in my wallet for years just in case some one asks for them. If your inspector can't find his or hers it is time to stop the inspection and try again with another company.

The very next question to ask during your home inspection is to ask the home inspector is "Who he or she is working for?" . If the answer is not YOU as the home buyer stop the inspection and try again with another company. You are hiring the home inspector. You are paying for the home inspection. You are entitled to have a home inspector who is working for you and only you. If the home inspector indicates the Realtor is the home inspection client run away.

Another question you should be asking the home inspector is what is your education, training and experience. A good home inspector will have years of inspection experience, a few hundred hours of class room experience and be able to tell you the last few continuing education classes attended. New Jersey law requires inspectors to have at least 40 hours of continuing education in home inspection every two years. I have taught many of those classes and found many students learned quite a bit.

Home inspectors expect questions to be asked during home inspections. If you ask a home inspector a question, hear the answer and nod your head up and down the home inspector is likely to feel your question was answered. If you do not understand the answer a home inspector gives you tell the inspector. I have no problem at all explaining things more than once and in different ways till buyers understand.

Ask the home inspector about any of your concerns. Do not bother asking the inspector if you should buy the home, if the home is right for you, if the price is right, who has to fix what and the like. Home inspectors can answer your questions about most issues however the above questions are outside of the field of expertise of most home inspectors.

Feel free to questions the home inspector about the drainage around the exterior of the home, how to help keep your basement dryer, how to prolong the useful life of the roofing and if there are problems with the roofing and or siding. Home inspectors answer those questions all the time and can provide useful tips.

While outside ask the home inspector if there are any signs of improperly abandoned oil tanks, if there are the home inspector can advise you and your attorney how to proceed.

Home inspectors can tell you how many amps the service is, the service voltage, if there is room to expand within the electric panel, if amateurs have caused problems with the wiring and if the wiring appears to be safe. If the home is older make sure you ask the inspector if aluminium wiring or knob and tube wiring exists, both are potential fire hazards and may make it difficult to get home owner's insurance.

When the home inspector is inspecting the plumbing system ask if the sewer clean out cap is newer. If it is suspect problems with the sewer pipe may exist and budget for replacement. Ask the inspector how old the plumbing supply, waste and vent pipes are. If the pipes are old replacement may be necessary sooner than you would like.

Heating systems must be inspected and you are entitled to be told how the heating system works. If you do not know the parts on the boiler or furnace now is the time to find out. Ask the home inspector questions about what part does what and why they are there. Every home inspector I know is anxious to teach you everything he or she knows. If the inspector does not know the names of the parts on the equipment you should be concerned.

Many buyers have questions to ask home inspectors about the structure of the home. Keep in mind home inspectors can not see into or through walls. Home inspectors can see what they can see and make a few educated guesses. Home inspectors are likely to miss hidden damages from insects, rot, water and construction defects unless obvious symptoms exist. Home inspectors who provide an answer of "I do not know" when asked the question is there hidden damages are not being evasive they are being honest.

Print out and take to the inspection a free copy of our Home Inspection Checklist to the inspection to assist you in determining if any areas were missed.

Please allow us the opportunity to assist you!
mike
Michael Del Greco, President, Accurate Inspections, Inc.
New Jersey Home Inspector License. #GI0121
American Society of Home Inspectors Member #102273
Independent Home Inspectors of North America Member
Credentialed Wood Destroying Insect Inspector #100
Home Inspection Instructor Morris County School of Technology (2002 – 2005).
Approved Home Inspector Continuing Education Provider by the
State of New Jersey Home Inspection Advisory Committee

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We provide home inspections within the following towns:
Reg text at bottom Essex County: Belleville, Bloomfield 07003, Caldwell, Cedar Grove 07009, Essex Fells 07021, Fairfield 07004, Glen Ridge 07028, Livingston 07039, Montclair 07042, North Caldwell, Nutley 07110, Roseland 07068 , Short Hills, Upper Montclair 07042, Verona 07044 , Caldwell 07006, West Orange 07052
Passaic County: Bloomingdale 07403, Clifton 07011, Haledon 07508, Haskell, Hawthorne 07506, Jefferson Township, Little Falls 07424, North Haledon 07508, Oak Ridge, Passaic, Passaic Park, Paterson, Pompton Lakes 07442, Prospect Park, Ringwood 07456 , Singac, Totowa, Wanaque, Wayne 07470 , West Milford 07480 , Woodland Park (formerly West Paterson), W Paterson
Morris County: Boonton 07005, Butler 07405, Cedar Knolls, Convent Station, Denville 07834, East Hanover, Kinnelon 07405, Lake Hiawatha, Lincoln Park 07035, Madison 07940, Montville 07045 Township, Morris Plains 07950, Morris Township, Morristown, Mount Tabor, Mountain Lakes, Parsippany 07054, Pequannock 07440, Pine Brook 07058, Pompton Plains 07444, Riverdale 07457 , Rockaway 07866 , Towaco
Bergen County: Allendale 07401, Alpine, Bergenfield 07621, Bogota, Carlstadt, Cliffside Park, Closter, Cresskill, Demarest, Dumont, East Rutherford 07070 , Edgewater, Elmwood Park 07407, Emerson, Englewood 07631, Englewood Cliffs 07632, Fair Lawn 07410, Fairview, Fort Lee 07024, Franklin Lakes 07417, Garfield 07026, Glen Rock 07452, Hackensack 07601, Harrington Park, Hasbrouck Heights 07604, Haworth, Hillsdale 07642, Ho Ho Kus, Leonia 07605, Little Ferry, Lodi 07644, Lyndhurst 07071, Mahawah 07430, Maywood 07607, Midland Park 07432, Montvale 07645, Moonachie, Morsemere, New Milford 07646, North Arlington 07031, Northvale, Norwood, Oakland 07436, Old Tappan, Oradell, Palisades Park, Paramus 07652, Park Ridge 07656, Radburn, Ramsey 07446, Ridgefield 07657, Ridgefield Park 07660 , Ridgewood 07450 , River Edge 07661 , River Vale 07675 , Rochelle Park, Rockleigh, Rutherford 07070 , Saddle Brook 07663 , Saddle River 07458 , South Hackensack 07601, Teaneck 07666 , Tenafly 07670 , Teterboro, Upper Saddle River 07458 , Waldwick, Wallington, Washington Township, Westwood 07675 , Wood Ridge, Woodcliff Lake, Wyckoff 07481
Allendale 07401; Allwood 07012; Alpine 07401; Arlington 07032; Belleville 07109; Bergenfield 07621; Bloomfield 07003; Bloomingdale 07403; Bogota 07603; Boonton 07005; Brookdale 07003; Brookside 07926; Butler 07405; Caldwell 07007; Carlstadt 07072; Cedar Grove 07009; Cedar Knolls 07927; Chatham 07928; Cliff Park 07010; Cliffside Park 07010; Clifton 07013; Closter 07624; Convent station 07961; Cozy Lake 07438; Cresskill 07626; Cupsaw Lake 07456; Darlington 07446; Delawanna 07014; Demarest 07627; Denville 07834; Dover 07802; Dumont 07628; Dundee 07055; East Hanover 07936; East Rutherford 07073; Edgewater 07020; Elmwood Park 07407; Emerson 07630; Englewood 07631; Englewood Cliffs 07632; Erskine 07456; Essex Fells 07021; Fair Lawn 07410; Fairfield 07004; Fairview 07022; Fayson Lake 07405; Flanders 07836; Florham Park 07932; Fort Lee 07024; Franklin Lakes 07417; Garfield 07026; Glen Ridge 07028; Glen Rock 07452; Gordon Lakes 07480; Great Notch 07424; Grove 07003; Guttenburg 07093; Hackensack 07601; Haledon 07508; Harrington Park 07640; Hasbrouck Heights 07604; Haskell 07420; Haworth 07641; Hawthorne 07506; Hibernia 07842; Hillcrest 07502; Hillsdale 07642; Ho Ho Kus 07423; Jefferson Township 07438; Kearny 07032; Kenvil 07847; Kinnelon 07405; Lake Hiawatha 07034; Lake Intervale 07005; Lake Swannanoa 07438; Landing 07850; Ledgewood 07852; Leonia 07605; Lincoln Park 07035; Lindy Lake 07405; Lionshead Lake 07470; Little Falls 07424; Little Ferry 07643; Livingston 07039; Lodi 07644; Lower Montville 07045; Lyndhurst 07071; Lyonsville 07005; Madison 07940; Mahwah 07430; Maplecrest 07040; Maplewood 07040; Maywood 07607; Meadows 07096; Meriden 07005; Midland Park 07432; Midvale 07465; Millburn 07041; Mine Hill 07803; Montclair 07043; Montvale 07645; Montville 07045; Moonachie 07074; Morris Plains 07950; Morris Township 07960; Morristown 07960; Morsemere 07657; Mount Arlington 07856; Mount Freedom 07970; Mount Tabor 07878; Mountain Lakes 07046; Mountain View 07470; New Milford 07646; Newfoundland 07435; North Arlington 07031; North Bergen 07047; North Caldwell 07006; North Center 07003; North Haledon 07508; Northvale 07647; Norwood 07648; Nutley 07110; Oak Ridge 07438; Oakland 07436; Old Tappan 07675; Oradell 07649; Overbrook 07009; Packanack lake 07470; Palisade 07024; Palisades Park 07650; Paramus 07652; Park Ridge 07656; Parsippany 07054; Parsippany Troy Hills 07054; Passaic 07055; Paterson 07502; Peoples Park 07513; Pequannock 07440; Picatinny Arsenal 07806; Pine Brook 07058; Pine Cliff Lake 07480; Pines Lake 07470; Pluckemin 07978; Pompton Falls 07442; Pompton Junction 07457; Pompton Lakes 07442; Pompton Plains 07444; Preakness 07470; Prospect Park 07508; Radburn 07410; Ramsey 07446; Randolph 07869; Ridgefield 07657; Ridgefield Park 07660; Ridgewood 07451; Ringwood 07456; Ritz 07026; River Edge 07661; River Vale 07675; Riverdale 07457; Rochelle Park 07662; Rockaway 07866; Rockaway Valley 07005; Rockleigh 07647; Roseland 07068; Roxbury ; Rutherford 07070; Saddle Brook 07663; Saddle River 07458; Secaucus 07094; Shady Lake 07480; Short Hills 07078; Singac 07424; Skyline Lakes 07456; South Hackensack 07606; South Kearny 07032; South Orange 07079; Succasunna 07876; Tabor 07878; Taylortown 07005; Teaneck 07666; Tenafly 07670; Teterboro 07608; Totowa 07512; Towaco 07082; Town Center 07052; Troy Hills 07054; Upper Montclair 07043; Upper Saddle River 07458; Verona 07044; Waldwick 07463; Wallington 07057; Wanaque 07465; Warren 07059; Washington Township 07676; Watchung 07069; Watsessing 07003; Wayne 07470; West Caldwell 07006; West Milford 07480; West Orange 07052; Woodland Park (formerly West Paterson) 07424; Westwood 07675; Wharton 07885; Whippany 07999; Wood Ridge 07075; Woodcliff Lake 07677; Wyckoff 07481

File last updated May 22, 2012 * Copyright © 2012 All rights reserved by: Accurate Inspections, Inc. A New Jersey home inspection firm 56 Woodland Drive, Woodland Park (formerly West Paterson) NJ 07424 973-812-5100 providing New Jersey Certified Home Inspections in NJ, by New Jersey Licensed home inspectors. Inspector of record Michael Del Greco, New Jersey Home Inspector License GI 0121.

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Questions to ask during a home inspection

Questions to ask during home inspections