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Why have a Home Inspection?
Most of us know
nothing about plumbing, electricity, heating, insulation, roofing, or the
structural condition of a home. Having a Professional Home Inspection
is one of the best ways to protect you against Selling, Buying, and/or Investing
in a home or property with defects, maintenance problems, and/or structural
problems.
"Benefits of a
Professional Real Estate Home Inspection"
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Home Buyers
- When
you purchase a home, you as the Buyer, at your expense, have a right to
have an inspection done on the physical condition of the property and its
inclusions. |
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There is a time deadline in which to do the inspection,
usually 10 days to 2 weeks after acceptance of the contract.
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You have
a right to negotiate with the Seller to repair/replace any defective items.
Keep in mind that you are not buying a new house and the inspection notice
of the unsatisfactory conditions should not be a list of every little thing
that's wrong with the home. It should address items that are of major
concern or safety. The homes
vital mechanical systems and all
appliances, etc., that are in need of repairing or need to be replaced, and
know that the property has been accurately priced. Most importantly,
it helps buyers and/or investors protect their pocket book. This gives
you tremendous peace of mind before you make one of the largest purchases of
your life. |
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The average inspection takes 3-4 hours, depending on the size, age, and
condition of the home. It is very important that the Buyers be present
for the inspection because it not only provides insights to repairs needed,
but it also gives the Buyers a basic understanding of all the systems in the
home and how they operate. |
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The Buyer may have anyone of their choosing do the inspection, but most Buyers
hire a professional home inspector. The inspection company should be a
member of a National Association of Home Inspectors in which they have to
meet certain standards of practice. |
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The cost of a home
inspection can range anywhere between $250 to $300 or more, depending on
whether it's a house, town house, or condo and the square footage of the
home. |
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Buying a home? The process can be stressful. A home
inspection is supposed to give you peace of mind, but often has the opposite
effect. You will be asked to absorb a lot of information in a short time.
This often includes a written report, checklist, photographs, environmental
reports, and what the inspector himself says during the inspection. All this
combined with the seller's disclosure and what you notice yourself makes the
experience even more overwhelming. What should you do?
Relax. Most of your inspection will be maintenance recommendations, life
expectancies and minor imperfections. These are nice to know about. However,
the issues that really matter will fall into four categories:
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Major defects. An example of this would be a structural failure.
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Things that lead to major defects. A small roof-flashing leak, for
example. |
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Things that may hinder your ability to finance, legally occupy, or
insure the home. |
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Safety hazards, such as an exposed, live buss bar at the electric
panel. |
Anything in these categories should be addressed. Often a serious problem
can be corrected inexpensively to protect both life and property (especially
in categories 2 and 4).
Most sellers are honest and are often surprised to learn of defects
uncovered during an inspection. Realize that sellers are under no obligation
to repair everything mentioned in the report. No home is perfect. Keep
things in perspective. Don't kill your deal over things that don't matter.
It is inappropriate to demand that a seller address deferred maintenance,
conditions already listed on the seller's disclosure, or nit-picky items. |
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