The career of real estate and more so of becoming a home inspector is on the rise. Many young adults, and entrepreneurs looking for a stepping stone to open their own business, are learning about and training to be a qualified home inspector.
Understanding the process and intermediate steps it takes to not only complete the qualification of home inspections but to be issued a license so you can put into practice what you have been studying all those hours is hard work.
It may look easy when you are peering in from the outside, and that just goes to show how well the person executes the tasks I would say, but the real skill is developed over time, a natural talent honed in and refined to be the best you can be.
A home inspector career path.
This may be your calling, for others not so much but they are still willing to give it a try, either way, certain aspects need to be followed, rules to be adhered to, and tasks to be completed to gain experience in an all-round real estate knowledge.
So how do you begin your property evaluation and inspection journey you ask? Well, with a few simple tips and guided advice setting a foundation you can be well on your way to wearing power suits and closing deals. Let’s take a quick look at the top most popular aspects needed to set you off on the right foot.
- Some states require you to be fully licensed with a degree of qualification, others are not as strict. Be sure that you research the state’s laws and regulations where you live or intend to practice in and reading through the fine print required to legally be part of the real estate family.
- Speaking of getting your license, more likely than not you are going to need to take a course, complete a practical assessment with the backing of theoretical studies to obtain a certificate or degree with which you will apply for your inspectors’ license. Work with an accredited foundation to get the most from your efforts.
The list of course is endless if you look into the finer details of all the things you could put into place, learn, or implement into your lifestyle, and that may take longer than you’d like. You could also see here for some handy guidance on how successful home inspectors start their careers and take a page out of their books to get the ball rolling.
We could all use a helping hand in life, and if it means the difference between knowing and achieving then all the better, let the mistakes and experience of others be a valuable asset in your learning process.
- This is the final stage of the process to becoming a fully certified home inspector, the conclusive examination taken (and passed) to be able to practice home inspecting. Ideally finding a position with a reputable firm is advisable in the beginning till you find your feet, this also gives you hands-on practice shadowing and working with the veterans of the industry you are just entering into.
- Networks and contacts. Now that the leg work has been executed and you have been hired by a well-known firm, it is time to get your name out in the world, and even more so on the lips of industry top management and personnel. It is about making contacts, networking, and being ‘in the know.’
What is a home inspector?
Essentially, when we speak about what a home inspector does, it is the full and overall evaluation and ‘check-up’ of a property. A ‘qualified’ home inspector will assess not only the utilities and amenities of a property but anything that could cause the value of the home or building to decrease.
These elements may include, but are not limited to, fire safety implementations, sewage systems, and cooling or heating equipment.
So why does a home need to be inspected? These types of checks are usually done when the owner is looking to sell, or perhaps someone is wanting to buy a run-down or abandoned site and needs the value calculated and a breakdown of what expenses are likely to be incurred to get it back up and running should he pursue with the sale.
They also evaluate and assess any possible or visible damage that may deem the property unsafe and unfit for habitation till the repairs have been completed, the last thing you want is to move into what you believe to be a ‘fit for living’ home only to discover covered up water damage or woodlice that were never mentioned upon signing the agreement. Thus the importance of hiring a home inspector is that much more necessary.
To see a more detailed description of what you can expect from your home inspector, take a moment to read this interesting article https://themortgagereports.com/37715/home-inspection-checklist-what-to-expect-on-inspection-day#:~:text=A%20home%20inspector%20will%20look,the%20size%20of%20the%20house and this way you not only have a deeper insight into what they can charge for but added details they might miss that you pick up and query, which then would raise a red flag of concern on the competency of the inspector. In this case, your best option would be to look at other firms and be sure you are getting the quality and attention to detail in the inspection that you are not only paying for but deserve.
Perks of being a home inspector.
Besides being your own boss if you decide to give it a go on your own, being a certified inspector allows you the choice of starting big or small, determined by your budget and your goals. Thus making it a flexible starting point.
If you are still hesitant about making the big career jump change, you can practice and become familiar with it in your spare time. Holidays, weekends, and as a freelancer for a company, this way you can build up confidence and still earn a decent salary. Win-win.
