How Much Should a Home Inspection Cost in Lake Mary?

I own First Choice Home Inspections, and we get 100+ calls a week for home inspections. The first question and many times, the only question the buyer asks is, How much do you charge for a home inspection? We do not overcharge for home inspections. I am a thorough inspector, and most inspections take 3 to 5 hours plus an additional 3 or 4 hours finalizing the report and marking the pictures. After the inspection, I follow up with the client when they have read over the 40 to the 96-page report. I sometimes spend an additional hour answering any questions the client may have.  I always let them know if they have any further questions; they can always call me. 

As a reputable home inspector, I have expenses like continuing education, insurance (liability and E&O), advertising, tools, membership dues, state licensing fees, and regular business expenses just to keep the doors open. My rates are reasonable, and I do a complete inspection. I know the inspectors that charge less for the inspections, and I know their reputations for the work they do. I also know the Realtor that recommend them and only them. I know what the minimum rate I can charge for an inspection and still keep the doors open.

Every time I quote an inspection, and the client says, I will get back to you, or I am just going to check a few more places.  I know money is the issue, and they will not schedule the appointment. I know the inspectors that are cheaper, and I know they do a budget inspection in 45 min to an hour and a half. A fast inspection is not a good inspection. A budget inspection is not a good inspection. If it is cheap, what is the client getting for their $199.00? Do they even bother to check if the inspector is active and licensed?

I have relatives in other states that always call me when it comes to buying their home.  The advice I always give them is, check the inspector out. Check the state licensing, insurance, training, and experience, and check with people you know for their recommendations. If the most qualified and reputable inspector charges $600, then he is the best inspector to hire. Remember, $600 may be a lot of money, but it is only a small portion of a $20,000 roofing mistake not caught by the cheap inspector that did not crawl up in the attic.

Electrical junction nightmare – This junction
was the result of handyman wiring and could
 have burned down this house.

When looking for a home inspector, the last thing you should consider is the cost of the inspection. The first thing on my mind is the safety of my family. I do not want to be awake all night wondering, did the inspector missed an electrical junction in the attic that should have been in a closed box. All too often, I run across things like the junction in the picture to the right, an exhaust fan wired into the closest wiring run. In the picture, you can note the black burn marks on the copper and the scorch marks on the sheathing and the wood. The question you should ask yourself is, would the $199.00 budget home inspector find this?

In the opinion of this Home Inspector, if the price is too low, you must ask yourself why? 

The fee for a basic home inspection nationwide was $300 to $500 by HUD estimates in "Ten Important Questions to Ask Your Home Inspector" from 2011. The size of the home, additional components and structures, pools or spas, and irrigation systems will all add to the price of the inspection. Fees vary by region of the country significantly. When purchasing your home, you want the best inspection at a reasonable price. A thorough inspection will take from 2 to 5 hours to complete. When it is your money and your family's safety on the line, you want the most meticulous inspector you can find.  For 2017, Texas is currently the lowest priced state for home inspections at $425.00 and New York the highest at $1025.00 for an average-size home according to Angie's List, "How much should a home inspection cost?".

 

When contracting a home inspector, check them out; license, insurance, and professional association.  Do an online search to see if they have complaints on file with the state regulatory agency.  Ask the important questions, and if you are satisfied with the results, ask the inspector for a quote.

 

Frank Carr is the Owner / Inspector at First Choice Home Inspections in Deltona, FL serving Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Lake Counties. Formerly in the building trades, Frank’s focus is a safe home in the Orlando Metro and Daytona Beach areas of Central Florida and building FCHI. We believe that consumers have the right to expect the highest standards of thoroughness, fairness and effectiveness from their home inspector and that is exactly what we provide.
 

First Choice Home Inspections

Residential Home Inspections in Central Florida

(386) 624-3893 

Website:  http://1homeinspector.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/FirstChoiceHomeInspectionsLlc

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-choice-home-inspections

Google+:  https://plus.google.com/+FirstChoiceHomeInspectionsDeltona

Twitter: https://twitter.com/1stChoiceHomeIn

Do you need a Home Inspection in Lake Mary?

You've decided to sell your home but do you really need a Home Inspection?  Depending on your Realtor they may or may not, suggest a Home Inspection.  Be assured your home will be inspected.  The buyer, will as a rule, opt for the Home Inspection. 

Without hesitation you put your home on the market, paint and fix it up a bit, and stage it per your Realtor's specifications.   Your home looks perfect and the price is right.  Now you have an offer, and the buyer asks to have the Home Inspection.  Is your home ready?

Many items frequently go unnoticed when preparing the home for sale.  Most items are easily rectified if you only knew what the Home Inspector would find.  The dilemma is, if you and your agent cannot find what is wrong, you cannot fix it. 

Once your home is inspected by the buyer’s inspector it is often too late to undo the damage done.  The buyer and their agent, report in hand, now has their demands of items to be repaired.  They will surely ask for a reduction in the price of your home.  To fix or not to fix, do you reduce the selling price even further?  You decide to make all the repairs noted on the inspection report.  You hold firm to your original price but the deal falls through.  No problem another offer will come, you think.

Has your home shown recently?  It is in fine condition everything is repaired per the buyer’s inspection report.  The problem is, at this point, too many people have heard about the inspection and what was wrong with the property.   The buyer’s agent had first-hand knowledge of the report.  How many other agents was the buyer’s agent connected to?  How many other agents were in their office, in their realtors association, and in their immediate realty network?

In this Inspector’s opinion, the Sellers Home Inspection is an invaluable tool.  It puts your house in perspective and lets you choose which items you will repair and which you will not.  Many of the realtors that I deal with on a regular basis recommend their client initially have the inspection.  Being prepared gives you the upper hand in the real-estate transaction.  The buyer’s agents have a network of colleagues which they will regularly communicate with.  Once the report has been made available to the agent, that is what they remember.   Many homes have been on the market for months, even years, before they sell.  It is a buyers’ market and you need every advantage that is available to you.  You can choose to have an inspection and be in control of the transaction or let the buyer be in the driver’s seat.

Frank Carr is the Owner / Inspector at First Choice Home Inspections in Deltona, FL serving Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Lake Counties. Formerly in the building trades, Frank’s focus is a safe home in the Orlando Metro and Daytona Beach areas of Central Florida and building FCHI. We believe that consumers have the right to expect the highest standards of thoroughness, fairness and effectiveness from their home inspector and that is exactly what we provide.
 
First Choice Home Inspections
Residential Home Inspections in Central Florida
(386) 624-3893 
Website:  http://1homeinspector.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/FirstChoiceHomeInspectionsLlc
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-choice-home-inspections
Google+:  https://plus.google.com/+FirstChoiceHomeInspectionsDeltona
Twitter: https://twitter.com/1stChoiceHomeIn