Last time you needed to book with a home inspection company, how did you find them?
If you’re a homeowner, maybe you went with a recommendation from your realtor or a friend.
If you’re a realtor, maybe your brokerage firm has a company they work with, or you’ve always recommended the same business without researching your other options.
Did you know it’s important to research your home inspection company options before making a decision to work with one?
Let’s explore why.
Whether you’re a realtor, seller, or home buyer, one thing remains the same. The home inspection company you work with can either make the closing process a lot easier, or a lot more difficult, even causing the sale to fall through.
What could go wrong, you might be wondering?
- For one, the home inspector could perform a short, rushed inspection and even ignore entire areas of the property. This could lead to the buyer being unaware of major problems they will be forced to address later on. Large home inspection companies with lots of business are often forced to direct their inspectors to complete as many home inspections as possible in a short timeframe.
- Home inspectors are required to have certain language in their reports in accordance with their State Standards of Practice. However, the method by which the inspector goes about discussing or writing up this information can vary quite a bit. Inspection reports do not need to be scary or include inflammatory information or personal feedback. They need to include the minimum SOP and need to be written in a way that is not more inflammatory than necessary. A home inspector should not want to “kill your deal” and it’s important to hire the right company to uncover the defects, but also communicate it appropriately.
- Just as a home inspector can leave a lot overlooked during an inspection, they can also push the customer to purchase unnecessary add-on services. This increases their profit and the customer’s expense without good reason. A reputable home inspection company doesn’t leave out anything important, but only recommends what is necessary.
On the other hand – the right home inspection company ensures your home closing process is hassle-free.
So, how can you make sure you choose a good home inspection company to work with?
1. Look for a company whose inspections take longer than the average 2-4 hours.
If you aren’t sure how long a company’s inspections take, give them a call and ask!
At Freedom Home Services, we offer home inspections that take 5 hours on average, so no stone is left unturned.
Our inspectors go above and beyond our minimum State Standards of Practice when it is safe to do so. Some examples of things we do that are outside of State standards that may shock you: walk on the roof, climbing on the trusses in the attic, testing the overflow drain lines in sinks/tubs, researching the property for building permits, and/or moving items to gain access to systems/components on the property.
While some home inspection companies boast about their ability to inspect a property in as little as 1-2 hours to save customers on cost and time, we know this sacrifices quality and reliability. That’s why Freedom Home Services offers our 5-hour inspections at the same average cost as our competitors’ short inspections. Nothing is more important than our customers’ safety and satisfaction.
2. Choose a company with very good insurance coverage.
The goal of a real estate transaction is always for the deal to close smoothly.
Rarely, something might trip up the process.
At Freedom Home Services, we care a lot about safety, so we go above and beyond to ensure our customers are covered in the event something goes wrong in the closing process due to the home inspection.
If a realtor refers a client to us and a party is sued, they have “referring party indemnification”. This means our insurance will cover and fight for both them and their client!
3. Check for transparency.
Always ask a home inspection company you’re considering working with for a sample report. That way, you can see firsthand what you will get for the price they quote you.
Freedom Home Services offers a sample report upon request, sent conveniently to your email.
Contact us to receive your copy.
If you aren’t very familiar with home inspection reports, you can do an online search to make sure the company in question covers all the important bases in their reports.
Or, you can take a look at our downloadable “Inspection Checklist“. That way, you can be assured that some of the most minor infractions might be avoided as well as ensure that the inspector has access to all of the areas they are required to inspect.
4. Choose a home inspection company that makes the closing process easier for realtors.
Whether you are a realtor or you’re working with one, realtors bear the brunt of the closing process.
When a realtor is forced to work with a company that isn’t responsive and doesn’t pull their weight, the realtor’s burden only increases. This could be a mortgage loan office, attorney, home inspection company, or appraiser.
To combat this, Freedom Home Services offers a few key benefits for realtors.
Our realtors get a personal portal where they can schedule online, view and download the inspection report and photos, make a repair list, and request a re-inspection once the repairs are completed.
Although we do not hold regular hours on the weekends, we can accommodate most weekend requests!
5. Look at reviews to see customer satisfaction rate and how the company handles negative feedback.
It’s important to get a glimpse into customer satisfaction rate for any inspection company you’re researching.
When you look at reviews, you’ll also get a solid idea of the company’s ethics and how they respond to complaints. Do they attempt to make things right, or ignore the customer’s feedback? Or worse, do they place unfair blame on the customer?
At the time of this post, you’ll find 239 positive reviews for Freedom Home Services on Google, with a 5-star average.
Nothing is more important to us than customer service. We will always put forth our best effort to please our customers and make any wrong right.
