When you make an offer to buy a home, you should always make that offer contingent upon the seller agreeing to a home inspection. The purpose of a home inspection is to identify problems with the house that would not be apparent to the naked eye. A home inspection can save you from buying a house that is a huge money pit and that ends up costing you a fortune as a result of structural and functional problems with the home.
The Importance of Having a Good House Inspector
Most of the systems of a house that cost the most money to repair are things that you would not necessarily see when you visit a home to consider buying it. For example, some of the most costly problems to solve in a home include:
- HVAC issues: Problems with the heater or the air conditioner on the home.
- Electrical problems: Bad wiring, overloaded circuits and other problems with the home’s electrical system.
- Foundation problems: Problems with the structural integrity of the home that could undermine the stability of the house.
- Problems with the plumbing: Issues with the piping system that allows for water and waste to enter and exit your home.
- Code violations: Work done on the home without proper permits and that is not in compliance with local building and electrical codes.
- Problems with the swimming pool or spa: Cracks in the pool, problems with the filter system or a damaged liner.
- Roof problems: Leaks or damaged shingles on the roof.
- Mold: Mold between the walls and in the floors of a home.
These are just a few of the hidden issues that you might not see when you do a walk-thru of a home that you are considering purchasing. Fixing problems with any of these parts of a house or with other major systems in a home can cost tens-of-thousands of dollars and could do serious damage to the livability of the house.
If there are problems with these or other essential systems of the home, you need to know that in advance before you buy a house. You need to ensure that the house is still affordable even with the problems and/or you need to work with the seller to arrange to have the price reduced or repairs made as a condition of the purchase of the home. A home inspection allows you to uncover these issues so that you don’t move in and find out within a few weeks or a few months that you made a major mistake.
A Home Inspector Protects Your Investment
When you make an offer to buy a home contingent on the results of an inspection, the inspector will come to the home after the sale price has been agreed to and after you are reasonable sure that the inspection will move forward. The inspector will do a thorough examination of the house to find any potential issues and will write up a detailed report of his or her findings. You can then review the information to determine if you need to request repairs or money off, if the home is fine, or if you want to walk away from the transaction.
The inspection is not only a smart thing to do, but it is generally also required if you are going to get a mortgage on your home since banks want to protect their investment to. This means that finding a good inspector is a prerequisite for most purchases no matter what since few people can buy a home without a mortgage. The inspector will protect you and the bank and you can have peace of mind knowing that your new home is structurally sound.
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