THE GROWTH OF ROUND ROCK
Over the past three decades, Round Rock has emerged from its former status as a quiet bedroom community to become somewhat of a super-suburb, due to the presence of Dell and the addition of a number of major retailers. In a city of over 100,000 people, there is a robust real estate market, and a constant need for high quality, detailed and cost-effective home inspection reports.
Property inspection companies are plentiful in and around large suburban communities such as Round Rock, but a savvy homeowner or prospective seller or buyer should be cautious about simply choosing one at random from a source such as Craigslist or the Yellow Pages. There are many considerations to be aware of when choosing a company to generate your all-important home inspection report:
- Experience and licensing of inspectors: Surprising as it may sound, there are many property inspectors who have little or no true residential construction experience. Look for a company that has inspectors with years of construction background and “professional” unrestricted licenses through the Texas Real Estate Commission, instead of just “apprentice” or simple “inspector.”
- Approval ratings and certifications: Intelligent buyers know to look for approval ratings from organizations within the construction industry. If you are looking to buy a new home, you should check with the Home Buyers Warranty Corp. and Residential Warranty Corp. to be certain a potential inspector is approved as a new construction warranty inspector and code-certified.
- Intelligibility, speed and efficiency of service: Many inspectors simply jot down notes in a short hand written home inspection report that can be unclear and not very informative to the layman. Others may take 2 or 3 days to generate a more complete report, which can be a concern when a buyer or seller has a very short option period. You should find a property inspection company that is known for generating and printing clear and concise reports on-site, in language that can be easily understood by someone not in the construction or real estate industry. This will save you much confusion and miscommunication during the process of purchasing or preparing your property for sale.
- Variety of inspections: Many property inspectors are not licensed for termite or pool inspections, so they have to bring in a “subcontractor” for that part of the job. This can be a problem for you as the client, because you will have no information as to the reliability of these “add-on” inspectors. Look for an inspector who is licensed by the Texas Structural Pest Control Service to be assured you will get quality, unbiased termite inspections.
- Customer Service and Satisfaction: You should always ask around and check service review websites or customer comments on home inspection company websites. Customer service can vary greatly in this business. You want to find a company that will not only do a home inspection and hand you a report, but that will also be there to answer follow-up questions, provide lists of trusted contractors to take care of concerns they may find on your property, and provide you with independent estimates for repairs before you begin looking for contractors.
- Pricing: Most thorough home inspection reports, including pest inspection and taxes, should not cost more than about $450. You should shop around and ask for estimates before signing any contract.
The knowledge and professionalism of your home inspector and the quality and completeness of the report you receive can make all the difference between a messy, confusing, and costly process or a successful and satisfying home purchase. Call Precision Inspection Corporation at 512-282-0455 to begin the process of obtaining a quick, thorough and professional home inspection report in Round Rock.