ASHI® Helps Homebuyers Avoid Hidden Repair Costs Through Certified Home Inspections

In a Nutshell: For most Americans, buying a home is the single biggest purchase they’ll make in their lives. In truth, the choice of a particular home is often driven more by emotion than by objective decision-making, creating the need for a third-party assessment. The American Society of Home Inspectors is a nonprofit industry association dedicated to establishing and promoting the highest standards of practice within its member community. Through a rigorous certification process, ASHI verifies that its members meet the highest standards of practice and ethics. The ASHI certification gives homebuyers the peace of mind that their home has been thoroughly inspected by a trained professional, and that potentially costly repair expenses have been identified.

Imagine if you could interview the house you are considering purchasing, and it could tell you all of the relevant information up front regarding potential problems it may have. Issues like the furnace that sometimes won’t turn on, or that small leak in the corner of the attic, or the dry rot in the eaves.

That would be very helpful, indeed, knowing ahead of time what kind of repairs might be needed. It may even impact your decision to buy, or at least give you pause to consider all of your options. Unfortunately, your new house is unable to communicate any of this to you directly — but a skilled ASHI-certified home inspector certainly can.

ASHI’s Frank Lesh spoke to us about the need for reputable home inspections.

Frank Lesh is Executive Director for the American Society of Home Inspectors, and we recently discussed with him the importance of home inspections in the overall home-buying process.

“A house doesn’t have a check engine light like your car does,” Frank said. “Think of an ASHI-certified home inspector as providing that function for your house. It can actually save homebuyers a lot of headache and expense.”

Without all of the facts, people have a tendency to fall in love with houses based on their appearance, but there’s more to a house than what meets the eye. That’s why it is so important to obtain the impartial and thorough assessment of a professional home inspector prior to making this commitment.

ASHI was founded in 1976 by a group of home inspectors dedicated to advancing the principles of professionalism within their industry. Today, ASHI is recognized as the top organization for home inspection resources and certification in North America.

With a goal to establish and advocate for the highest standards of practice and ethics for all of its members, the ASHI certification is truly a badge of honor for industry professionals.

Consumer Awareness Leads to Savings on Home Purchases

Home repairs can be some of the most costly expenses consumers face. Identifying potential problems with a home’s infrastructure or its major systems before making an offer on it can ultimately save thousands of dollars in repair costs. Problems or potential problems that are identified during the home inspection can then be addressed in the purchase contract. A seller might give financial consideration to the buyer, or may even fix the problem before the sale.

The importance of having access to all the relevant information on something before making a purchase decision cannot be understated. Equally important is getting information that is accurate, complete, and unbiased. Frank puts it this way.

“An ASHI-certified home inspector has nothing to sell you,” Frank said. “If a home has a bad roof, they’re not going to fix it for you. They’re just going to let you know about it. In this way, homebuyers can be sure they’re getting the best information, with no ulterior motives.”

A home’s major systems, like the furnace, plumbing, air conditioning, etc., are also a part of the home inspection process. These systems and appliances can be costly to repair or replace. A certified home inspector will thoroughly check these components and can even gauge their remaining useful life. If it’s determined that any of the home’s major systems are not functioning properly, their repair or replacement can be part of the negotiation process.

Inspectors Undergo a Rigorous Process to Get ASHI’s Stamp of Approval

A home’s major systems, like the furnace, plumbing, air conditioning, etc., are also a part of the home inspection process. These systems and appliances can be costly to repair or replace. A certified home inspector will thoroughly check these components and can even gauge their remaining useful life. If it’s determined that any of the home’s major systems are not functioning properly, their repair or replacement can be part of the negotiation process.

To join ASHI, home inspectors must submit five written inspection reports for verification by ASHI experts. When that qualification is met, they must pass the rigorous National Home Inspector Examination. Finally, a potential candidate must perform 250 fee-paid home inspections. Only after these stringent requirements are met will a home inspector be eligible to become ASHI-certified.

The ASHI School helps train new inspectors, while providing continuing education for veteran professionals.

Ongoing education of its inspectors is also a major part of ASHI’s quality initiatives. The ASHI School is designed to train new home inspectors on all aspects of home assessments and to ensure experienced inspectors are kept up to date on their skills. Courses include training on inspection of roofing and flashing, exterior, structure, electrical, plumbing, heating, cooling and heat pumps, insulation, and appliances.

Extended and specialized inspection training is also offered by the ASHI School, with certificates in commercial building inspection, mold inspections, and wind mitigation inspections, among others.

Ensuring Ethics and Standards of Practice for Home Inspections Since 1976

As the most respected and oldest home inspection organization in the country, ASHI knows how important it is for homebuyers to trust their inspector. That’s why the founding principles of the organization include establishing and advocating for the highest standards of practice and a strict code of ethics for their member community.

These values help to guide ASHI-certified home inspectors in all aspects of their role. It’s this unwavering commitment to each and every homebuyer that helps to establish the requisite trust relationship with your home inspector.

The decision to purchase a home is one of the most important that people will make in their lives. That’s why it’s critical to enter the process knowing all of the facts about a new home, including any repairs that may be needed.

With the help of an ASHI-certified home inspector, new homebuyers can be confident that they’re entering the transaction with all of the relevant information clearly presented to them.

The American Society of Home Inspectors remains an independent not-for-profit organization that exists to help homebuyers, home inspectors, and real estate professionals in evaluating the condition of a home. Through their rigorous certification process, ongoing training and commitment to the highest technical standards, they have created one of the most respected organizations in the industry.