A home inspections report should contain the following information and you as a home buyer should ask for a home inspection checklist before you agree to the home inspection or settle for a particular home inspector.

A good home inspection report software usually has a checklist of items that have to be inspected.

In general a home inspection should be  carried out for

Structural elements like wall, ceilings etc.

Home exterior elements like wall covering, grdaing, elevation, driveways and fences.

Roof and attic elements like type of roof construction, flushing and gutters.

The main component and source of several concerns plumbing elements like pipe material used, toilets, sinks,showers, faucets etc.

Other elements to be inspected are air conditioning, water heaters, furnaces, ducts, sprinklers etc.

Electrical elements like the main panel and the circuit breakers.

Some of the major applinaces covered are dishwasher, range and oven, garbage disposal, smoke detectors etc.

Garage elements like slab, vents, entry, exterior, windows and roof etc.

A home inspection report should mention the health and safety concerns , foundation anomalies, moisture and drainage issues if any. Remember they do not cover the roof condition and do not give a roof certification.

With such a detailed inspection to be done, a good home inspector armed with a good home inspection report software would be able to do the job satisfactorily. In the light of the above elements, buyers who are thinking of not doing the home inspection should cross the fence to the other side and get a home inspection done or at least get a good home inspection report software to do the home inspcetion by themselves.

While selecting a home inspection report software, there are several factors that you need to keep in mind as listed.

The report software you choose must have various report templates to suit you needs for various types of homes like new, old, condos, apartments etc. You should be able to create your own template for your future needs.

You should be able to customize the report to your own professional affiliation like ASHI, FABI.

It should have a repository of detailed pre written inspection comments.

The software should work with Tablet PC as well as the laptop or a computer as then it eleiminates the need for the inspector to type in anything during the inspection itself.Also, the software should allow integration and upload of photographs and documents.

A summary page feature is a must for the home inspection report software which helps the buye/seller in terms of readability and easily listing out the critical problems uncovered during the inspection.

The home inspection software should be selected based on the above factors and several others not listed here like the price etc , whic of course can be a major factor while going for feature rich home inspection report software.

When you are buying a home , it has now warranty hence it is upto you to make sure that home you are buying is not in need of major repairs. Once bought you have no recourse but to take undertake the repairs yourself and bear the cost yourself .

There is another way to protect yourself from unknown and unforeseen repairs, which is called home warranties.These warranties can cover the most of the costs related to the plumbing system,airconditionsing as well as the heating system. Home warranties can protect you from incurring additional unwanted expenses when you are already on a tight budget . In fact, all those costs which are not covered by insurance are coverered by home warranties.

Home warranties cover the cost for any new repairs that come up and these warranties cost only a few hundred dollars for a year and each service call costs upto $50 only. The older the home you are buying the more you are in need of the home warranties.

In the last 12 years the growth of the home inspection industry has been unbelievable and that has spawned many courses and fly by night operators.You would routinely see adverts saying that become a home inspector in 25 days , yes very true that these would  certify you but are these agencies actually accredited or not , please verify for yourself before joining such a course.

Become a home isnpector requires years of experience and huge amounts of knowledge. This cannot be done in a 25 day course. The best you can do is research before singing on those home inspection courses. And all said there is no substitute for the experience gained on the field.

The courses online can train you in the basics of contruction design as well as give you training in the use of the home inspection report software. They also give you training in identifying errors and omissions which can not be uncovered by the uncovered eye.

Do due diligence while signing up for home inspection certification course and make sure you are not duped by scamsters and non accredited institutes.

Before taking the plunge let us give some thought as to what it entails to own the home inspection business and what are some of the essentials you need to start the home inspection business.

Requisites : As a home isnpector you would be required to inspect the house and would be contacted by the buyer or the seller. As a home inspector you would need to be precise and very thorough about the job of inspection. The report you put forward should be detailed and informative enough to give the buyer or seller enough knowledge about the house which the untrained eye would not be able to spot. Your observations on the report should help both the buyer and the seller make a knowledgable and informed decision. For putting this report out you would definitely need a home inspection report software , which help you come out with clear and crisp inspection report.

Another requisite is your knowledge about construction details, mechanical as well as structural. You can acquire those by joining various training programs. Some courses would help to get the theoretical knowledge but the best way to get the practical insights would be to become an apprentice or an assisstant to an expert home inspector. This will serve as the best way for you to learn the ropes as well as allow you look at the business from close quarters.

Get yourself associated with all the trade organisations as well as the home buying/selling companies so as to build a sizable number of contacts which will help you start the business easily. 

Make sure you insure the business for all those exigencies which can happen whill running the business. Also make sure that you have some amount of finances available for setting up an office and also for buying some hardware and also home inspection report software.

Starting a business requires dedication,passion,drive and energy to overcome all the obstacles and that holds true for home inspection business. Best of luck !