Hey everyone Greg Dallaire with Dallaire Realty local real estate agent in Northeastern Wisconsin.  I'm super excited we got a special guest Drew Basten from Basten Home Inspections, and today we're going to talk about how to choose the right home inspector.

Choosing the right home inspector 

It's one of the most significant purchases of your life. Purchasing a home getting a home inspection is super essential, but making sure you choose the right home inspector, I don't think a lot of people talk about that.  I'd love to get your thoughts on, you know, how easy it is to become a home inspector and why you want to do some due diligence and do some research and not just say, hey, you should go with this. This home inspector. What are your thoughts on that, Drew?

Big investment requires proper inspection

Yes, I guess it's like you said. It's one of the most significant purchases most people have ever made, so we want to make sure an experienced person is coming in there to guide them and give them some intel on what they're purchasing. Kind of like when you're buying a car, you want a mechanic to look at, you know, get under the hood and really know what you're getting.  So a couple of things I would recommend are talking to family members and seeing who they've used in the past, and talking to your realtor, to see who they would recommend.  From there, one big question, once they give you a name or a couple of inspector's names, is why they would use that person.

One of the biggest reasons they trust that person's going to guide them through making that big purchase. I think the buyer should do some due diligence, even when getting those referrals from realtors, family, and friends, and do some research.  I mean, with the internet and technology, it's not hard to see how reputable a company really is.

How hard is it to become a home inspector

I'm curious, how hard is it to become a home inspector?  So to become a home inspector, we have to take a test, and if you pass the test, you can become a home inspector.  Now, that doesn't mean that's the home inspector you should use. I think what you want to be picking is someone who's licensed, number one, you got to be licensed, and then an inspector that would have insurance.   Then on top of that, someone who can explain to you a house and the significant issues with the house and the small maintenance issues can walk you through a house.  I think one of the best things you guys do is communicate is very layman's terms.   But the nice thing is if you look at your company specifically, you guys have over 30 years of experience. Before that, you were in the basement foundation business, so you have a different experiences.  If I were looking for an inspector, I'd want somebody who's been in many houses.

Experience matters when choosing a home inspector

How many homes have you and Andy inspected roughly in the last 30 years? Do you have any idea?  So we've done over 25,000 home inspections in the greater Green Bay area.  So I mean, that, that's experience.  Another big thing you would want is a home inspector who's been there,  done that, and seen it all.  That's where we've been, okay.  I guess a couple of other things on background on bass and home inspection would be our grand, my grandfather, Andy is my father, he's my partner in this business.  My grandfather, repaired basements.  That's how we got into this, which foundations, basement structure. That's the main focus of where significant defects come into play.  So that's where it's good to have a trusted foundation expert.

Basten Home Inspections practices what they preach

Beyond that, we own a lot of rental property around town.  So we are in this every day. We know what things break down, how to fix rough leaks, and that sort of item.  So it's nice to speak to what things cost our buyers and educate them on what a big issue or a smaller maintenance issue is.  The bigger thing is that you guys practice what you preach. That's kind of what drew me to Basten Home Inspections. Green Bay, WI does not only have, but also do you have 25,000 homes of experience, but you, as you said, you're investing in properties, you're fixing properties, you're rent, you have rentals, so you're constantly having to maintain them and make sure that they're operating at high efficiency.

So when choosing a home inspector in Green Bay, ensure you have extra due diligence. Do your research.  We're not saying you have to go with Basten Home Inspection, but we want to give you options to uncover that maybe you're getting somebody who's been in 30 to 50 homes.  You got to pass a state test and the barrier of entry.   Even the previous inspectors we've used had general contracting experience.  I think it's super important to have that building knowledge in the process.  So just highly recommend if you're looking for a home inspection in Green Bay or surrounding areas, do your due diligence.   Drew, I appreciate you taking some time and opening up the hood to like the industry and allowing prospective buyers or homeowners to know what they need to look for when trying to find the right home inspector in Green Bay, Wisconsin.