A fantastic local agent, my friend and web guru Melina w/ Tomson Burnham LLC had a great idea for a series titled: What to Expect when you’re Inspecting. Cute and clever and she said she would let me use it.

I figured I would start from the beginning of the home inspection process and go through it step by step.

Get it scheduled

So first things first: you just received notice of an accepted offer and you have a certain amount of time to get all of the applicable inspections and make negotiations. If you are working with a good agent they will give you some names of home inspectors that they know do a good job. Check these guys/ladies out. Check their website, read their blog, and give them a call. Learn about their experiences and what makes them better than the other inspectors. Talk to them about your new home. Find out how they communicate. I wish I would have done this when I bought my first home. The guy I hired to do my home inspection gave me a lot of grumbles and, what I now call the “home inspector shrugs.” A home inspection is not like a loan. With a loan, the numbers are what you need to focus on. Everyone plays with the same numbers. A home inspection is a very personal thing and for the same number (price) home inspections can range from a gobbledy gook mess of check boxes and confusion to a clear concise description of the repair and maintenance issues with your new home and can actually be future user’s manual. Beside the report, how is the inspector at educating you. If the inspector grunts, shrugs a lot but you saved $50….maybe that isn’t the best place to save a couple bucks.

Once you have found your favorite inspector and you have confirmation on your deal you should get on the internet and book yourself an inspection. Most of the time buyers negotiate a 10 business day window however if you find yourself dealing with the bank you might only get 5 calendar days to get your inspections. If you are hoping for a really great inspector during the summer months and you only have 5 days…….good luck. 10 business days gives you two calendar weeks and should be enough to get your all of your inspections done but you need to start immediately if not before your offer is accepted. I have been at least a calendar week out since April and I have had to do my share of referrals to other good, but not as good, home inspectors in the Salem Oregon area.

So you need to make a choice, really good in-demand inspector or mister inspector guy that can fit me in tomorrow. It is up to you and who knows, that short notice guy might just do a good job for you.