Buying a house is undoubtedly a major event in any individual’s life for those wanting to set up a home and is the ultimate goal of professionals and investors that are looking to create a portfolio. For all of these people, investing time and energy into creating the perfect home or property is entirely satisfying, especially if you are working hard to ensure that your venture into the real estate world is productive. However, it is important to ensure that you have all of the necessary bases covered, one of which is home inspection. Of all the considerations involved in purchasing property, home inspection is especially important in ensuring that you get the best value for money possible prior to finalizing your purchase.
Home inspection is an essential element of the initial series of assessments that are conducted prior to the finalizing of contracts. It should be carried out by a professional home inspector because he or she has completed all of the necessary qualifications to be able to evaluate the property effectively and in line with all applicable laws and regulations. Offering a professional opinion, a qualified home inspector is able to provide an expert’s perspective of the condition that the property is in. As such, you will be heading into the process of purchasing the property fully aware of the risks associated with that house and where it lies in relation to your own personal requirements and specifications. Of course, a home inspector will not eliminate or sugarcoat the risks but it will alert you to their presence.
Hiring a professional home inspector may be a must but the information that he or she gives you following the initial inspection is only useful if you use it effectively. That is to say that you should work out what you are looking for in a property prior to commissioning the initial inspection. The first point on that list should be choosing the best professional to suit your needs. That is to say that he or she should have all of the relevant qualifications, licenses and training behind them in order to render a verdict that you can trust. You can check all of these elements with the National Institute of Building Inspectors, and it is worth doing so because that way you will know that information you are provided with is accurate and reliable, especially when it comes to uncovering defects that have the potential to affect that value of the property in the coming years.
You should also be familiar with the process of evaluation that the home inspector will undertake. The interior and exterior of any property are essential areas during the inspection and an inch by inch evaluation is conducted to ensure that all possible faults and weaknesses are taken into account. Most home inspectors work from the top down and will also check the condition of the roof, chimney, fascia and guttering right down to the wall sidings, doors and windows, foundation and driveway structure. Internally, the evaluation will take into account other areas of the property as well as the structure, from the drainage system to the electrical wiring.
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Posted by Jolenta Averill on
Great post! The quality of the inspection is a very important part of the home buying process. I've dealt with some really bad inspectors, but luckily have found a very good inspector in the process. He is very thorough and if there is anything defective with the home... he WILL find it and that provides a great peace of mind to all of my buyers.
Posted by Cedar Park Owner Finance on Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 at 10:58amGreat information, Jolenta. I had a client who wanted to waive the inspection just to cut some corners and same some money. It was a long talk, but you ended up getting the inspection.
Posted by Alex Cortez on Thursday, July 22nd, 2010 at 9:13pmI find that people have a problem with the price of a home inspection. That always floors me. Think about it... they are buying a $200,000 home that they will live in for 5-7 years and they won't pay .0025% for a home inspection. Yet they buy a appliance at a hardware store and purchase a warranty for 1%+ of the purchase price.
Posted by Mike on Friday, July 23rd, 2010 at 2:46pmI agree with Mike. People who blow off the inspection stage really just seem to be lacking common sense. A few years ago a friend of mine was buying a house and the whole deal was turned upside down when it came to inspection day. The air in the house needed to be tested but the seller's Realtor had gone in an hour before and opened every window in the house so the test couldn't be completed. That shot that down pretty quickly. You will always find out if the seller has something to hide when it comes to getting an inspection. Thanks for posting!
Posted by Mesa Homes for Sale on Friday, October 8th, 2010 at 11:40amLeave A Comment