Start Your Own Home Inspection Service

by ENTREPRENEUR PRESS

• ISBN13: 9781932156010
• ISBN10: 1932156011
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-12-01
• Publisher: Entrepreneur Press

Summary

Handy around the house? Turn that talent into a lucrative career!New home sales are booming. So is the need for qualified home inspectors, making this one of the fastest-growing businesses in the real estate field- with no end in sight. There are an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 home inspectors in the United States and Canada. More than 40 percent of home sales now include inspections, a number that is expected to double over the next 5 years, especially in the light of the rapidly increasing cost of housing.As a home inspector, you'll examine the interior and exterior of the home and give potential home buyers an objective, informed decision. Many home inspectors earn $500 to $800 per day, and a pro shows you how you can, too. This concise, no-nonsense guide tells you how to start and operate a successful home inspection business without spending a lot of money.This comprehensive guide to starting your own home inspection business shows you: Typical start up costs for low-end and high-end businesses How to select a location for your home inspection business Aspects of operating from a home-based office versus a commercial office Inspection equipment you will need to run your business Legal forms and requirements How to do market research-stages, primary research methods, secondary research, and other factors. How to keep records, manage your finances, and stay ahead of your tax liability How to advertise and promote your business to achieve market penetration Market groups you can't afford to overlookThis guide represents your opportunity to start and run your own business-to be your own boss, decide your own fate, set your own course, and succeed by your own wit and courage. If you've got a knack for finding trouble spots in homes and are handy with tools, this is a book that can put you on the road to establishing your own successful home inspection business.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
The Entryway	1	(10)
Home Anatomy 101	3	(1)
Inspection Lesson	3	(1)
Booming Business	4	(1)
About Your Clients	5	(1)
Breaking In	5	(3)
The Right Stuff	8	(3)
Limber Up	8	(1)
Generally Speaking	9	(1)
Down to Specifics	9	(1)
Sixth Sense	10	(1)
The Foundation	11	(10)
Survey Says	12	(3)
Market Share	12	(3)
Franchise or Independent?	15	(2)
Got a Plan?	17	(1)
The Name Game	17	(1)
On a Mission	17	(1)
On Location	18	(3)
Movin' on Up	19	(2)
The Cost Factor	21	(16)
Start-Up Costs	22	(8)
Getting Educated	23	(1)
Getting Professional Advice	23	(1)
Getting Insured	24	(1)
Supplying Your Office	25	(1)
Getting Equipped	25	(1)
Tool Basics	25	(1)
Computer Equipment Basics	26	(1)
Office Equipment Basics	27	(1)
Not on the Critical List	28	(1)
Surfing the Net	29	(1)
Putting It All Together	30	(7)
A Sound Structure	37	(10)
Licenses/Permits	38	(1)
Business Structure	39	(1)
Side by Side	39	(1)
Your Lawyer	40	(2)
Legal Challenges	40	(2)
Insurance	42	(1)
Get It in Writing	43	(2)
Ethics and Standards	45	(2)
Nuts and Bolts	47	(28)
It's Elementary	48	(1)
Sherlock Ho(l)mes	49	(3)
Stories from the Trenches	50	(2)
Going Along on an Inspection	52	(6)
Roofing Revealed	52	(1)
Exterior Exam	53	(1)
Amped Up	54	(1)
Code not Required	55	(1)
Leaky Pipes	56	(1)
Down the Drain	57	(1)
Attic Static	57	(1)
Finishing Touches	58	(1)
Potential Problems	58	(1)
Services Above and Beyond	59	(2)
Radon Rundown	60	(1)
Reporting Your Findings	61	(2)
The Checklist Report	61	(1)
The Narrative Report	61	(1)
Delivery	62	(1)
The Follow-Up	63	(1)
Pricing Your Services	63	(12)
Collecting Fees	64	(11)
Upgrading Your Expertise	75	(10)
Train Don't Strain	76	(3)
Compare, Compare	76	(1)
Live and In Person	77	(1)
Home Study	77	(1)
Online Training	78	(1)
Course Pricing	78	(1)
Why Train?	79	(1)
Get Professional	80	(1)
Branching Out	81	(4)
Expert Witness	81	(1)
Special Investigations	81	(1)
Other Offshoots	82	(3)
Selling Yourself	85	(8)
Getting the Word Out	86	(7)
Creating a Professional Image	86	(2)
Cross-Promotion	88	(1)
Networking	89	(1)
Dynamite Direct Mail	89	(1)
Web Power	89	(1)
Yellow Pages	90	(1)
Special Promotions	91	(1)
Hiring a Professional	91	(1)
Customer Service	91	(2)
Managing Employees and Finances	93	(10)
Income and Operating Expenses	94	(1)
Employee Basics	95	(4)
Employee Payroll/Taxes	96	(1)
Answering Options	97	(1)
Outsourcing Options	97	(2)
Money Matters	99	(1)
Bookkeeping	99	(1)
Record-Keeping	99	(1)
Financial Statements	100	(1)
Funding Your Start-Up	100	(3)
Inspection Lessons: Pass or Fail	103	(6)
Common Pitfalls	104	(1)
It's All About Perspective	104	(1)
Experience Necessary	105	(1)
Recipe for Success	105	(1)
Take the High Road	106	(1)
Take It Slowly	107	(1)
A Service-Oriented Business	107	(2)
Appendix Home Inspection Resources	109	(6)
Glossary	115	(2)
Index	117