Jason Robie: Inspection Reflection

I have a couple friends who are professional home inspectors and really don't envy their positions. In our "sue everybody cuz nothing's my fault" society, the risk they take with every inspection is a bit nuts. If only people would take responsibility for their own actions. Alas, enough of that. What does that inspector actually "do" anyway? While we're not going to get into the liability noise today (that's above my paygrade) I would like to talk a bit about the process in general and how you can make the most of this service. Let's get inspecting.

First and foremost, you should understand exactly what it is you are paying for. If, after the inspection, you walk away thinking "I thought they were going to mow the lawn", that is on you. Take some time up front to ask this professional, what it is they check for. Now, to be fair, there's around 1,600 features on a home that inspectors are looking at. We don't expect them to list them all to us as we stand there in the kitchen. It's just important that you have a good understanding of what is covered. That ensures you will get what you were hoping and will (hopefully) learn a bit about your new home in the process.