Hello everyone,
Im just wondering if anyone on here has taken the Home Inspection course at Seneca college. I’m thinking of taking it starting next month, but am not sure.
Troy
Any of the college courses in the GTA area are good courses to take.
Hello Troy:
It depends how they offer this course what I know is, if you take this course through a college it takes more than a year. In addition if they don’t have any hands on experience there is no difference between them and online course . One more thing my friend before you register, you should search to find out how much you are paying. I know they charge a lot and if you study at home you will pay half of that money. You can get all the information for free from different institute.
Good luck
Troy the advice you get from those inspectors who have been around for a few years is usually the best.
Cheaper is usually not better .
Listen to the hair on the back of your neck ,if it does not feel right then it more then likely is not right .
Roy
HI Troy,
The courses at Seneca, as well as those at Humber and George Brown, would be good courses to take, as Gerry has said, particularly if you wanted to get the National Certification. The down side of them, as Mazyar has stated, is that it might take a couple of years to complete the courses, especially if you study part-time, and they can end up costing more money than others. The upside to this is the classroom education you would receive, with the ability to have discussions and ask questions.
Hope this helps, and Merry Christmas!
Christian
Thanks everybody for the quick replies.
I’m really not all that worried about the how long it will take. I have a couple more questions as well. I’ve read on here that it is very hard to be a full-time inspector. Something like only 30% succeed.
I’ll give you guys some backround information on me.
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Im 23 years old.
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I love learning how things in a house work, and explaining them to others.
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I’ve been in the “construcion field”, full time since I was 16.
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I’ve had a job over the last few years that has given me great “customer service” skills.
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I am close with a couple real estate agents.
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I would like to think that I know quite a bit about what “makes” a home.
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Im good with tools, gadgets, computers, etc.
I can’t think of anything else, haha. I really think that this would be the perfect job for me. I know that 23 for an inspector is young. But im thinking that if I took a year for the course, and then i’d work under someone else for awhile to learn how things go.
Is it a challenge to find work, working for someone else?
Any other tips, or suggestions would be great.
Thanks,
Troy.
Take the course Troy.
And don’t expect anything from the “agents” you know.
There was a great post here some time ago that really “told how it is” in this world. I think Roy might have something at his finger tips.
Cheers
Sorry Doug can not remember the Post Try Mario he has a good memory.
Roy
Troy all college coarses are pretty good but I suggest you find an inspector that will allow you to follow him for a few inspections even if you have to pay him then youll know what your in for
It is likely that the union will recognize a combination of College course completion and an apprenticeship programme. Please stay tuned for more details on this evolving programme.
Hi Troy
I have my home inspection diploma from Seneca (2004). They are excellent courses, packaged by Carson Dunlop. You can take the same courses directly from Carson Dunlop much cheaper but then you won’t have the college diploma. Your choice.
[FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]Chuck Crooker/CROOKERHANCOX HOME INSPECTIONS INC. [/FONT]
I think this is a very frustrating and difficult career to get into. Wonder they the colleges are not cranking out more inspectors?
Let me see if I can sum up the ideal requirements:
You need to have years of experience in the construction business or in one of the trades, which would take, well… years! Hard to get that coming out of a college!
You need to complete a ton of specialized courses that will cost you $ 4,000 to $ 6,000 or more, and take about 2 years of a lot of night school, while, presumably, you try to hold down a day job to pay for all this.
You need some equipment, ie: truck or van, ladders, and as many tools as you are foolish enough to use.
You need a reporting system - either computerized ( more bucks) or check off with comments, or… written. I forgot, most folks coming out of the school system would have to take a course on writing… and spelling … and maths…
Then once you have survived all of this cash outflow, you need to get some on the job training - lets say about 50 ride alongs with an experienced HI. Thats a trick, most are one man shops in an area where they do not want further competition, and live in fear of you stealing their contacts and future business, so that should really make this step a challenge, and take …well, years to complete 50 ride alongs!
You can join an association - preferably a professional one that will put you through a lot of hoops and steps and take months before you are allowed to practice inspections. Or, I suppose you could join some mail order group and have instant certification, which will likely be as recognizable to clients and Real Estate agents as any other “certification”.
Then you need insurance … if you can find a company that will insure a “newbie” and have still some money saved up to pay for the first year = lets say $ 5,000 to $ 6,000. Of course, you can decide to go without since by now, you probably will not have any assets left, and are highly unlikely to be able to afford any assets for the next several years if you survive in business as a home inspector.
Now, at last, 3 or 4 years later, you are ready to do inspections. Except that expensive cell phone and business line, are not ringing. So, you have to pound on doors, try to get by the pit bull at the front desk of most real estate firms, actually find an agent in the office, and willing to meet with you. You live in hope, that, once they recognize your lack of experience at inspections, but admire your young eagerness(?!) they will actually put you on their referral list - with all of the other inspectors they have used for years. Of course you will not see instances of agents pushing their “preferred” inspector since they are not allowed to do that!
So, once you are in business doing inspections, then the fall and winter arrive, and you are shocked to find out there is next to no inspection business due to the “slow” season in the Real Estate world. So, you have to face several months of no or negligible income with ongoing steady cash drains to support being in business. Opps, forgot all that money you have to find in order to advertize.
By now you have had to undercut all of the competition with the lowest rates in town in hopes that you will pull some business away from the more experienced inspectors out there, who, mysteriously are no longer talking to you. Suddenly you realize that you still do not have enough coming in to cover the costs. Should you have the misfortune of having to pay for an unhappy client, or worse yet, litigation - then you are really up the creek.
Suddenly, by year two or three, if you have made it that far, you wonder why did you even bother to spend all that time and money to get into a business, that, for many, is very stressful with constant concerns of litigation … and bankruptcy, especially when you realize that many experienced inspectors seem to last less than 7 years in this business, before burn out …or bankruptcy beats them down.
I forgot a couple of other ideal prerequisites, 1) independently wealthy - opps that probably means your assets are at risk
2) very understanding spouse who has a great career and is willing to support you, pay all the bills, watch the savings erode, while you struggle to make a go of this business.
3) a healthy retirement income, so you can enjoy this advocation without worry about making ends meet.
Since 1) and 2) are very hard to find these days, then, many inspectors likely fit into category 3)!
Gee, I wonder why so many are in the 50 to 60 age group?
Fear not, many baby boomers will be retiring so our ranks should continue to grow = with 50 to 60 year olds!
A very interesting statistic. Almost half of us are in the 50-60 age group with none under 30. Do you think this is because colleges aren’t promoting home inspection enough to entry level students.
Chuck Crooker CROOKERHANCOX HOME INSPECTIONS INC.
Way to go, Chuck!! Tell it like it is.
There was some talk on the OAHI website about how job retraining (military and gov for laid off auto workers) programs were pushing folks towards the HI industry. Good for the training institutions but going to be hellish for the field.
Thanks Chuck no one says it as well as you do .
I agree ,It hurts me big time to see so many invest a lot of time effort and money and no succeed .
Unfortunately many think they are going to be different .
The homes getting inspected are not increasing but those who want to inspect continue to try to become Home Inspectors .
I have been told 90% do not last three years .
That’s what I remembered, sorry Chuck, could not remember who’s post it was
Cheers
I guess I should get a metal.
I’ve been an insector since 1972 and a home inspector for ten years.
A home inspector accepting his lotto prize of 1 million dollars was asked “What are you going to do with all that money” Ans “I’ll keep on running my inspection until the money runs out”
Vern i know a few farmers that think the same way:D
In 1973-74, I worked for the then largest beef farming operation in the Maritimes. I was on the rear of a tractor the oldest son was driving when he turned around with a big smile on face and said: “If I won the lottery, I’d farm 'til it was gone!”