Updated for 2022.
For personal fulfillment, it’s hard to beat a career that matters so much to so many while offering the freedom to work on your own terms. That’s what life as a certified home inspector is like.
home inspector is like.
When considering a career change, it’s perfectly normal to consider the pros and cons. While there may be several pros and cons of being a home inspector, the pros certainly outweigh the cons.
If you’ve thought about entering the industry but weren’t quite sure if it suited your goals, think about these 5 advantages. You’ll have them and more at your disposal.
#1: Be Your Own Boss
Being your own boss is part of the American Dream for a reason, which is why many people gravitate to the home inspection industry. Owning a business offers the freedom that you can’t find in most employer/employee relationships. That’s freedom to work as you please and operate your business as you see fit.
If you want Wednesdays off to play golf, you can have them. Just remember that working for yourself also brings a lot of responsibility. An independent home inspector is responsible for everything from the ground up. Most days, that’s a good thing.
#2: Start Big or Small, However You Like
Some new businesses require a certain level of capital plus equipment, staff, and a professional storefront or office. Not so with home inspecting. Both new and experienced home inspectors often work from a home office. Some operate from the kitchen table, at least for a while.
Your new home inspection business requires very little startup cash and only a few tools. You can grow at your own pace, too. Before long, you might add drones for home inspections to your toolkit. Whoever said home inspections can’t be fun? ICA School can teach you all about drones and other tricks of the trade, such as thermography.
Check out this video of a drone-aided roof inspection:
#3: Or Go to Work for a Local Home Inspection Pro
Maybe starting a new business doesn’t sound appealing. It carries a lot of responsibility. That’s a perfectly normal attitude. Plenty of people prefer to step into the industry under the umbrella of an established company with a steady flow of work.
Home inspectors have the freedom to choose, which is a valuable commodity in a still-wobbly economy. If you want the security of employment, your home inspection training and certification can put you in the running for a great new job.
#4: Learn the Home Inspection Industry in Your Spare Time
Perhaps the biggest stumbling block to a new career is finding the time for school. But the time you clock out for the day, there may be little energy left for a commute to a classroom. With an online home inspection training program such as ICA School, learning happens on your time and at whatever pace you choose.
If you’re motivated and have the time to spare, you could complete the course and get certified in a matter of weeks. If slow and steady sounds more like your course, that’s another option. The important thing is that you’re in control. Fast or slow, ICA School lets you work toward a new career on your terms.
#5: Perform an Important Service for Customers
Home inspecting can also be fulfilling on a personal level. There’s something to be said for offering a service that helps people in the community. Home inspections provide answers to questions that the average buyer might not know to ask.
The inspection report that you prepare gives customers a snapshot of the home they want to buy. Sometimes, the results are great. Other times, they’re not. But either way, your customers come away from the experience with knowledge. And knowledge lets them make the best possible home buying decision.
Home inspecting is almost a perfect storm of freedom, opportunity, and relevance. With a solid education in home systems and the proper way to inspect them, you’ll be well on your way to a new career that could change your life.
Ready to begin? Enroll now and learn what it takes to start a profitable, new chapter in your life.