To become a home inspector, you must be trained and certified to do so. There are many ways to complete your training.
- Classroom training: A classroom creates a formal and engaging setting and means you will be taught by an established educator. This gives you a great opportunity to learn about all the engineering and construction concepts that are required to become a home inspector.
- Field training: Another great way to learn is on the job. American Home Inspector Training (AHIT) offers in-the-field training when getting certified in New York.
- Online home inspection classes: Online courses can come in handy, especially if you work full-time. They allow you to get all the information you need to start your new business without having to quit your day job.
- Continuing education: New building methods and emerging technologies mean that continuing your education throughout the course of your career as a home inspector is important. In a lot of states, this is even a requirement.
1. Make a Home Inspection Business Plan
To ensure the success of your business, you need to create a solid plan that accounts for costs and marketing. A few important questions to consider are:
- Who is your target market?
- How long will it take before you begin to make a profit?
- What will the name of your business be?
- What are the startup and ongoing costs?
2. Get Insured
Home inspector insurance can protect you from major financial losses that would otherwise ruin your business. In the past, it has been known for homeowners to file lawsuits against ‘soft inspectors,’ declaring that the home inspectors were biased towards selling the house on behalf of the realtors who got them the job.
3. Build a Business Network
You will want to attend events that enable you to network with realtors, home construction companies, and potential buyers so that people will come to you when they need their homes inspecting. Building a home inspection business also means that you will be doing more than just home inspecting, it is helpful to source a network of people who can help with customer service, advertising, scheduling, and making each home inspection report. This takes some of the mundane tasks from you so that you can focus on the main goal of your home inspection business.
4. Develop Marketing Materials
This means creating high quality brochures, business cards, and signs. Marketing your business will help to spread the word of your services, which improves your chances of enticing new customers and, therefore, allows your business to flourish.
5. Aquire Must-have Home Inspection Equipment
There are plenty of hazards to watch out for when conducting a home inspection, so here are some tools that every home inspector needs:
- Electrical tester: Checking the electrical system of a home is a complex task, so an electrical tester can help to complete these tasks. Keep in mind that the more expensive ones do a better job, so it can pay off to invest a little bit more.
- Safety glasses: These make sure that nothing can get into your eyes while you are working as there are a lot of small elements that your eyes can come into contact with when performing a home inspection.
- Flashlights: You will be able to see every part of the home, even the smallest nooks and crannies, if you carry a flashlight.
- Voltage indicator: This allows you to see if there is a voltage present when checking the wiring of a home.
- Electrical gloves: These protect you from electrical shocks when performing your home inspection.
- Ladders: These can allow you to get to difficult-to-reach spots in the house, so they are always handy to have.
- Full-face respirators: Sometimes, you may have to enter a house that is unsafe to breathe in, so it is handy to have one nearby. You won’t always need one, but it is a good investment to have in your toolkit.
- Moisture meter: These can gauge moisture levels behind the walls so that you are able to fully detect leaks and plumbing defects. This is also on the expensive side but is a tool that most home inspectors can’t do without.
- Infrared thermometer: Even if certain heating and cooling equipment is tough-to-reach, this tool can help you determine the temperature of this equipment, which is important information to have if you’re looking for defects.
Read Also: Precautions to Take When Constructing a New Home
6. Define Your Brand
Your brand is what your company stands for, and it is important for you to stand out against your competitors if you want your home inspection business to become successful and memorable.
