Selecting an inefficient home Inspector cannot just cost a lot more than the fee paid for the purpose. If criteria of low price have played heavily in favor of making this choice of a non-performer, you are treading down a dangerous highway. It is so amazing to see people spending months looking for just the right home and then choosing a home inspector just because this fellow is taking $50 or $100 less as compared to the other guy. Professional Home Inspector Schools are spewing a record number of new inspectors on a monthly or annual basis. These are the people who come from all walks of life. They could rather be deputed at a department store today and the next day, they could be positioned as “Certified" home inspectors.

If you are on a lookout for a home inspector, following few things must be kept in mind before choosing one:

•    Background research, research, and research must be the key Mantra. It is essential to know as much as possible about the inspector shortlisted for hiring. Tele conversations, speaking to them over the phone and in person, if required are recommended. Are they easy to talk to, are they knowledgeable about homes and agreeable to share a sample report and if the report is easy to comprehend?

•    Background reference checks from friends and other links are a great help. However, these recommendations are not to be taken blindly. Most people have no idea of the quality of inspection but they just know they like the inspector as a person.

•    Hiring an Inspector solely on the recommendation of your real estate agent is a strict no. This agent could be sugar-coating his recommendations and pushing you to use a "wink and nod" inspector, or as we in the industry name them, "Drive-by Inspectors." These inspectors get their business from agents who manage them. Even if your agent suggests 2-3 or more inspectors, it would be wise to make a selection based on various other factors and not just agent recommendations.

•    You get what you pay for but the service charge should be at the bottom of your list of priorities especially when looking for a professional home inspector. A performing professional inspector can save his client money because a few hundred bucks saved on hiring a non-performer could cost thousands more to try restore a roof this inspector failed to warn you about in time.

A top of the line inspector who knows what he's doing may cost a little more but may end up helping you take a timely decision based on his quality inspection that could save you thousands of dollars. A good inspector will find things that other non-professional will miss and advise you to go back to the seller and renegotiate the price of the property.

Statutory requirements of the state need to be checked since more and more states require home inspectors to be licensed. In a few states, few inspectors who don’t meet legal standards may still be performing illegal inspections. Check them out before hiring since choosing a professional home inspector is an important process when buying a home.