Start your Own Home Inspection Business

By R.L. Fielding

As the housing market continues to cool, opportunities in related businesses, such as the home inspection industry, often thrive. Despite a slower than average market, the National Association of Realtors, estimates that 5.7 million resale homes will be sold and almost 852,000 new homes will be sold this year – and many of them will need inspections.

An inspection is one of the most important steps in the home buying process, especially in today’s market. At a time when price negotiations have become more vigorous, a home inspection can give buyers, or sellers, an edge in the negotiation process. A professional home inspection can help buyers avoid buying someone else’s problems, and for sellers the home inspection can help them eliminate potential defects that could turn off a prospective buyer.

As the home inspection business continues to remain steady and profitable, there has never been a better time to buy a franchise in the field. Buying a franchise is a wise investment, but only if the buyer understands the ins-and-outs of the relationship between the franchisor and franchise owner.

Franchises generally have successful track records compared to non-franchise start ups; however, it takes time and money in order to turn a profit. Like any small business, undercapitalization is usually the number one cause of failure. It could, in fact, take a significant amount of time before a franchisee realizes a return on his investment. However, once your franchise takes off, the benefits are well worth the investment in time and money.

The Benefits of Owning Your Own Inspection Business

Although the housing market has cooled in some areas of the country, the percentage of transactions where a home inspection is used has been growing. Opening a home inspection franchise offers tremendous business potential for entrepreneurs and for home inspectors looking to grow their business with the help of a national company. Just a few of the benefits of being part of a home inspection franchise system include:

• There is no building, real estate investment or inventory to carry.

• There is no construction experience necessary as you can hire qualified inspectors to work for you.

• You gain access to training resources and marketing support from your franchisor.

What It Takes to Get Started as a Home Inspection Franchise Owner

Becoming a successful franchise owner involves time, energy, commitment, and a willingness to be a part of the system. It also involves paying for an existing business model - one that includes approved marketing materials, the latest software systems, insurance and other operational systems. Owning a business franchise is an attractive option when considering the time and money it would take to organize all these elements on your own.

Successful franchise owners generally have a strong background in marketing, management, remodeling or home rehabilitation and utilize those skills to grow their local franchise and potentially expand into a multi-unit operator.

The best candidate for a franchise is someone who is interested in reaping the benefits of hard work, but values the added coaching and accountability of a franchise system. While a franchise owner controls the day-to-day operation of a business, he or she is also required to follow the franchisor's ways of operating. These might include designated hours of operation, the use of specific equipment or materials to operate the franchise, or franchisor-approved marketing and/or sales materials.

If you think you might be interested in starting a home inspection franchise, it’s a good idea to consider the following:

1) Get Educated – Find out what kind of training is offered by the franchisor. Training is the cornerstone for success, so it’s important to make sure the training provided by your franchisor is top notch.

2) Get Input – As part of your due diligence, you will want to speak to as many current and former franchisees of the system as possible. As part of the disclosure process, the franchisor is required to give you these contact names – use them!

3) Assess Your Strengths – or weaknesses. Buying a franchise does not automatically guarantee clients. Calling on Realtors® in your area and bank managers dealing in home loans will be a big part of your marketing strategy. If you can’t see yourself putting on a professional presentation or making a sales call, a home inspection franchise is probably not right for you.

4) Talk to Your Family – Family support is a critical factor in making the dream a reality. If your spouse is against the plan, it will be difficult to navigate the highs and lows of a new business alone or with the added tension at home.

Deciding to invest a significant amount of your time and money into buying a home inspection business franchise is, of course, a risk. The first step should be taking the time to learn all you can about how to launch and operate a successful business. The rest should fall into place with a little perseverance, steady clients and a real passion for the business.

About HouseMaster

This article was provided by HouseMaster, the oldest and most respected home inspection business franchise system in North America. HouseMaster, founded in the late-1970s, has grown to over 350 local offices whose inspectors have collectively performed nearly 2-million home inspections. Home buyers, home sellers and real estate professionals rely on HouseMaster’s home inspection services for truly objective insight into the condition of any property. For more information, visit http://www.housemaster.com.