WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR INSPECTOR:
Unlike neighboring Georgia and Florida where home inspectors are still unregulated,
North Carolina is the second among a growing number of cutting-edge states to require home inspectors to meet very strict qualifications and to be licensed and regulated by the State. Our industry is maturing! Licensing and regulation give you some assurance that your home inspector is knowledgeable, has had to meet certain strict standards of competence and is not just another "gypsy" with a clipboard and a pen. We've all heard those horror stories!
It is unlawful to perform home inspections in North Carolina without holding a NC State License. Larry Moyer is the only NC State Licensed home inspector working in Cherokee County who concentrates 100% on performing inspections full-time and not as an occasional second hand sideline. He has performed more than 13,000 residential and commercial inspections since 1991.
EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST TEACHER
There's no substitute for it, especially for an inspector. When you pay for a home inspection, you deserve a thorough, in-depth inspection made with an experienced eye. Your inspector must have developed his skills through his experience in the field, inspecting many different building types under many different conditions.
Don't hesitate to inquire about the number of inspections and professional experience and professional associations of the inspector you call. He should not shrink from giving you honest, direct answers to your questions.
Some would have you believe that a contractor's license or a degree in architecture is an automatic ticket to being a good home inspector. Don't believe it! Here in the mountains, many contractors work only with new construction and have little knowledge or experience with older homes and vintage systems. They act simply as a coordinator for the construction being done by their hands-on sub-contractors. In North Carolina, licensed general contactors are not required to have continuing education for their license renewal. In Georgia, prior to 2007, historically there has been no such thing as a General Contractor's license.
A good inspector will not make idle conversation while he's doing the inspection. He will approach his inspection with focused concentration and attention to his task. If you have been able to attend the inspection, he will carefully spend ample time with you at the conclusion of his inspection to make certain that you, and all parties whom you designate, fully understand his findings at the property. You should be comfortable with your thorough understanding of the condition of your prospective purchase by the time you leave the inspection. He will then also be easily accessible to you after the inspection for follow up questions which may arise.
THE INSPECTION REPORT
Beware of inspection reports which are hurriedly generated "on-site." The creation of a proper, thorough, in-depth, detailed inspection report with background comments and information can take additional hours of careful thought and deliberation. This task should never be done "horseback" with a few quick clicks on a portable computer.
Choosing the wrong home inspector can be very costly.
CHOOSE EXPERIENCE !
