Buying a home can be both an exciting and frustrating time. The process of home buying can take several months, from your first interest in the property to finally signed a purchase agreement. At that point you have made up your mind and fallen-in-love with your soon-to-be newly acquired property, and are ready to start planning your move.
However, it is important to not let your excitement overtake your head. Just because you and the seller have reached an agreement does not mean that your work is quite done. It is important that you remember to protect yourself and your family as you complete the steps to closing on the purchase of your new home. One of these steps will be deciding whether or not you need a home inspection.
Skipping a home inspection could prove to be a costly mistake, with the emphasis on cost. The price of not doing a home inspection will unfortunately not be known until you have already paid for the home and the seller is long gone. At that point it may be too late. Here are a few reasons why doing a home inspection can protect you (and your wallet).
A True Assessment – Know what you’re truly in for!
Sometimes a home looks too good to require an inspection. Why wouldn’t it? Often when someone is selling their home, they have made it look as attractive as possible – this is likely the best the home is ever going to look. Aesthetics and other attractive functional features are there for the sole purpose of distracting from the less attractive nuts and bolts of a home that can deteriorate over time. Electrical, plumbing, roofs, etc. will deteriorate over time or may have been installed incorrectly. Problems in areas such as these can be very hard to discern with the fleeting glances cast during appraisals and unprofessional home inspection. Failure to identify these issues prior to purchase can prove to be extremely costly.
Renegotiation Possibilities – Get a better deal!
Home inspections provide you with a detailed examination of the property. A proper inspection can show you the condition of all areas of the property, including those hard-to-see systems that you would not notice on your own. Any defects that are discovered are going to lower the value of your potential purchase.
With this home inspection report, the you as the buyer can sit with the seller once more to renegotiate terms. You can negotiate to have systems repaired or replaced, or you can negotiate to reduce the cost of a property to more accurately reflect the true value of the property. If a new agreement cannot be reached, you may have the ability to walk away from the purchase. Consulting with an experienced real estate attorney throughout the process can protect you each step of the way.
Security – Prevent unfortunate surprises!
Moving into any new home without carrying out home inspection is an unnecessary risk to safety. It is not enough to take the words of the seller, especially when it comes to the safety of you and your family. In such a case, you can demand a home inspection to check the status of all the hazards that are in that property.
These hazards can be from the structural integrity of the building, or faults in the electrical system that powers the property. More recently, there’s also additional inspection for things like Radon, a gaseous substance that inconspicuously carries the threat of lung diseases.
Home inspections also come in handy to project how much you will need to spend on maintenance costs, a practical part of preparing your budget for purchase. Leaks can cost an incredible amount, reaching thousands of dollars in larger properties. Spending the money upfront on a home inspection and the advice an experience real estate attorney before making your purchase will in the end save you money.