You have searched for months looking for just the right home for you and your family. What would be worse than moving in and then discovering all sorts of unexpected problems? Not only did you just make one of the largest purchases of your life but now you are stuck with unforeseen repair costs that do not fit your budget. By hiring a Home Inspector, you can learn the real state of your home and be aware of the damage as well as the potential cost of repairs by having a home inspection done.

In an effort to save money, some people seem to think that they could do the home inspection themselves. This is not recommended. A home inspection is a thorough evaluation of your home done by a highly trained and experienced individual that really knows what to look for. Areas that are included in the average home inspection are the structural integrity, the roof, plumbing, AC/Heating, electrical and the interior as well as the exterior. The main goal of a home inspection is to identify any repairs that will be needed now and in the near future. All home inspections are followed up with a report that outlines the inspector’s findings. These results are very helpful in aiding you in the decision making process of buying a home. It is nice to know ahead of time if a home will end up costing more than it is worth!

Inspectors have a set of guidelines and criteria that must be met along with things they can and cannot do. Be sure to ask your inspector for a copy of these guidelines so that you will know what to expect from your home inspection. One thing you must remember is that not all home inspectors are created equal. It is important to choose the right home inspector in order to have a thorough home inspection. You will want one that has a lot of experience and is qualified to conduct a comprehensive inspection. All home inspectors have to undergo extensive training so that they know what and where to look for potential problems. Be sure to ask for references. Choose an inspector that is willing to sit down with you and answer all of your questions.

Although it is not a necessity, it would be worth your while to be present while your home inspection is taking place. By tagging along, you will get to actually see what the inspector is looking at and also what they are looking for. This also gives you the opportunity to ask any questions that may arise. By doing this, you will find out a lot about your new home.

So, before buying that new home, spend a few dollars in the front end and get a home inspection by a qualified inspector so that you could potentially save thousands in the end by avoiding those costly hidden repairs that go unseen by the untrained eye!

Home Inspection Misconceptions

With the increasing popularity of home inspections, today, most homes have undergone one prior to buying or selling.  The purpose of the inspection is to inform the potential buyer of the actual condition of the home.  This allows them to make educated decisions regarding the property.  Even though home inspections are so common, there are still several misconceptions surrounding them. 

Some people believe that home inspections are done so that the buyer can bargain for a lower price.  The major purpose of a home inspection is to alert the buyer of any significant situations that may have an adverse effect on the structural integrity of the home and any safety issues that this would cause especially ones that were omitted by the seller on the disclosure statement.   If such items are discovered, then it is ok to use the inspection results to renegotiate the pricing of the property.  The home inspection is not used to point out all the cosmetic imperfections of the property and in most cases; this type of thing is not even included in the report given by the inspector.   You do not want to nit pick over the small stuff.

Often times, it is thought that only “used homes” require a home inspection.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  It is just as important to get a new home inspected as it is a used one.  With new homes, there are many players in the game, subcontractors that perform their own specialized field of work.  Unfortunately, not all contractors can be trusted to do everything according to code and sometimes eliminate or take short cuts in order to trim costs.  There are many stipulations and contracts that come into play at closing time regarding the purchase of a new home and if your inspection isn’t done in a timely manner prior to closing, you could be putting yourself in a situation that is very problematic. 

Contrary to popular belief, not all home inspections are created equal!  It is so very important to have your home inspection done by a reputable, experienced inspector, one that has been thoroughly trained and knows what to look for.  They should be familiar with the guidelines and procedures that are to be followed in your area.  Be sure to check their credentials prior to hiring them and don’t be afraid to ask for references and most importantly, check those references out. 

Even though you have had another type of inspection done such as a pest inspection, code inspection or even an appraisal, don’t think that you are in good shape.  These types of inspection do not take the place of a comprehensive home inspection.  Each home inspection is followed up with a written report detailing all the findings of the inspection along with diagrams and sometime pictures of the issues found.  This way you can see exactly what they are talking about.  So, put your mind at ease and get a trained inspector to conduct your home inspection before you decide to buy.

James Budrow

HomeNetDirect.com

Home maintenance - key to selling your home faster for more money!

Here is an example of a home built around 1994. We see that the home did not have gutters installed around the roof eaves at the time the home was built. This was a common building practice when this home was built. Now, fifteen years later, the seller of the property would like to sell the home. The sellers think that a little paint here and a few repairs there and the home should be just like new. The problem with that philosophy is that the water falling from the roof for fifteen years has been splashing against the siding and window trims causing extensive wood deterioration. Most if not all of the window and door trims will have to be replaced. The bottom first story sections of the siding will have to be removed and replaced after the interior wall cavities are inspected for possible hidden deterioration of the framing members. 

The lesson to be learned here is this. If this home had received regular maintenance check-ups, the home owner would have known that spending a few hundred dollars on gutters to control moisture around the home would have saved many thousands of dollars over time.  The buyers who had planned on purchasing this home will not be spending the money to take care of these issues. Why you ask? They decided that the home needed too many repairs and have moved on to another home purchase. It is important to learn about and keep up on your home maintenance. If you don't have the time, hire someone to do it for you. In the long run it will be money well spent.