5 Great Ways to Get Trained As a Home Inspector

As the demand for homes, rental units and property increases in the western world so too does the need for a quality product – i.e. the home.

Homebuyers are more educated on the quality of homes today due to the sharing of bad experiences in the media, on discussion forums and in social media.

Leaky buildings and use of poor grade materials has the homebuyer being more vigilant before they sign the sale and purchase agreement. Or if they do sign, it’s conditional on a satisfactory property inspection by a qualified and experienced home inspector. This demand for quality, has increased the need for quality home inspectors to help potential buyers be sure of what they are getting before putting their money into it.

Choosing home inspection as a career and establishing yourself as a quality home inspection service provider is a good move.

According to this post, becoming a home inspector is not as hard as many would want to believe.

Have a deeper understanding of construction knowledge

As a home inspector, you will be required to evaluate the state of the building, heating, plumbing and electrical system of the property in question.

To do this efficiently, you need to have some general knowledge in construction. It is also worth mentioning that the work of a home inspector is largely judging the overall state of a house.

This means that you need to have prior knowledge about buildings/constructions if you are to provide reliable and dependable judgment regarding a house.

Go for courses and training that work for you

It is vital as a home inspector to continue updating yourself with knowledge about current building designs systems and materials.

Architecture and design are moving targets as there are thousands of professionals in this sector keen to leave their impression on a building. Therefore it’s vital to stay up with the latest news, views and updates on everything in the design, and construction industry pertinent to your specialisation, namely residential property.

Not every course and training offered in institutions will be okay for you. After learning about construction, and having some experience in the construction industry, you should focus your resources to gaining meaningful additional knowledge that will help you advance your career.

The American Home Inspection Training Institute, for example, has been voted the best place for one to get meaningful courses that will help you get licensed easily.

This institution will actually give you more than just a license; you will also get GoPro videos to help you understand how the real world of inspection is like, and not just the class learning.

While it is not a requirement for anyone to have the experience to work as a home inspector, yet, and that in many countries it’s unregulated, it can be a great way to learn while you’re on the job with an experience coworker. There are various organizations where you can enroll as an intern and be able to gain meaningful experience on how to conduct a home inspection.

Pass your exams

As stated earlier, having a license is not a mandatory requirement in every state. But if you must have it to operate as a home inspector in your state, then you need to ensure that you pass the home inspection licensing exams.

Passing the first time is always the way to go when preparing for the exam. This will mean that you set aside more time to revise and do practice exams in preparation for the real licensing exams.

Note that this is not just for the new entrants, it can also be done by long-established home inspectors. The world of real estate is ever-changing, and updating yourself with the current systems will always work in your favor.

Understand the licensing requirements in your state

Each state has its own legal requirements when it comes to the field of home inspection.

While some states will have no licensing requirements at all, others will have high-standard requirements for anyone that wants to become a home inspector to meet.

As a potential home inspector, the first step is always to take time and learn the legal requirements that apply to your state. You should also update yourself with the standards of the requirement that apply in your area of residence.

Develop your customer networking skills

Whether you love the job or not may depend on mostly on your own success and many clients use your services.

Start out working for an established business then after you’ve got what it takes you could set up on your own or open a franchise. Both options require building strong networks and relationships with realtors and home buyers, to get good work-flow in future.

Repeat business and referrals will provide you with new customers.

This way, you can count on the previous clients to refer you to their friends and relatives as well use your services again the next time they need a property inspection.

Set up a website, blog and social media profiles and get customers reviews so you can share them and get your network of advocates, and happy clients to share on your behalf.