Doing home inspections comes with its share of challenges. It isn’t usually dangerous — if you are careful — but it’s definitely not a cushy office job. Summer comes with its own set of pitfalls for home inspectors. And because it’s the busy season for real estate transactions, it’s also the busy season for home…
DetailsMold has always been a part of life — since before life for humans even existed, according to the Smithsonian. But more attention is being paid to mold these days, due to the illnesses we have learned it can cause. According to the National Poison Control Center, mold is a nontechnical term for fungi that…
DetailsYou learned what is generally included in a home inspection from your home inspection courses, but what about ancillary services? What types of extra services can you offer to boost your bottom line? A home inspection generally takes a couple of hours to do, and home inspectors know the job isn’t over when they leave…
DetailsThe roof is a big part of every home inspection. It is usually the most expensive part of a home, so if it needs repair or replacement, the potential homeowners need to know. While asphalt shingles still reign supreme in the roofing world, it is likely that you may start encountering more roofs with solar…
DetailsDoing home inspections requires a great deal of skill and knowledge. Home inspectors might think that it all revolves around home systems and structures, but in fact, an essential skill home inspectors must hone is communication. Excellent communication skills are critical in any profession that deals with the public. No matter what service you are…
DetailsAn expansion tank is an essential part of certain heating systems, and when you’re inspecting a home, you’ll want to make sure it’s in good working order. What should you look for when you’re inspecting an expansion tank? Boilers operate by heating the water that heats a home. The heating process causes the water to…
DetailsMany home inspection courses deal with how to look for leaks and water damage. This is because of the top 10 most common home inspection problems, seven of them are related to water and leaks, according to Realtor.com. Water is one of the worst enemies a home can have. Another is fire, and that’s why…
DetailsDo you think you need insurance coverage for errors and omissions for your home inspections business? You may think you don’t, but insurance isn’t only for people who might make mistakes. It’s for people who own property, a business or have assets they don’t want to lose. Anyone can make a mistake, no matter how…
DetailsYour home inspection training helped you to learn ways to spot evidence of leaks — stains, warping, etc., — but how do you find the source of these leaks? Sometimes it’s easy. You may be in an attic and see water leaking through a hole in the roof. You may be in a basement and…
DetailsAs a home inspector, you likely inspect lots of roofs covered in asphalt shingles. But what about slate roofs? You may not come across many, but if you do, this type of roof covering must be treated differently during inspection. Although slate roofs can be beautiful, they are significantly more expensive than asphalt shingles, so…
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