Tips for Selecting a Residential Home Inspector

Part of the Boston luxury homes purchasing process is a proper home inspection during the due diligence phase. Most buyers either through friends or business colleagues get a home inspector recommendation. Alternatively, their real estate agents may give them a list of inspectors to choose. By law, real estate agents can not recommend an inspector, but can provide a list for clients to select from. Out of town Boston luxury real estate buyers can rely on the recommendation of their employers, if all else fails.

It’s imperative that your Boston luxury real estate inspector is experienced in conducting inspections in the specific property type and location of your prospective home.  Boston luxury homes in the Back Bay, Beacon Hill or the South End have their set of issues that are very different from a house in the suburb and vice versa. The inspector will be looking for different defects.

I just had an inspector from the suburbs recommended to the buyer by their employer who had conducted only two inspections in the city. The style of his inspection was very much geared towards freestanding homes, as he was looking for issues non-existent in the city. Or he would overlook and ignore problems that should’ve been addressed.

By the same token, a city inspector may overlook many issues that Boston luxury real estate in the suburbs face. When interviewing inspectors, make sure that they have experience with similar properties and neighborhoods. Buyers beware — do not just rely on the recommendation of an employer if you are from out of town.