Start Your Own Home Inspection Service (Entrepreneur Magazine's Start Up)

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 overlook

This 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.