Prior to purchasing a home, it’s important to have it inspected. While it may seem like just another additional expense, it is a vital one. Read on to find out why it’s worth your money and then some.
First, remember:
- A home inspection can be the reason you turn your back on buying, but it doesn’t always have to be. Consider making some minor repairs or renovations with the issues that are found.
- A home inspection will always find a problem in a home. Even brand new homes!
- The inspection is not about getting everything fixed. The seller will usually negotiate with you on some issues, but expecting everything to be resolved isn’t reasonable.
Many lenders won’t offer financing on a home if an inspection isn’t done. A home inspection covers so many areas of the home. To name a few: plumbing, electrical, kitchen appliances, fire safety, HVAC, and more.
This leads us to our next point: home inspections can bring to light potentially life-threatening issues, like faulty wiring that could lead to a fire. Home inspectors also check faucets and showers, and look for leaks, and test the water pressure. They also look at the water heater to make sure it’s working properly and how many years it has left. They cover several issues, so if you’re curious about specifics on that, just ask your inspector.
After the inspection:
- If the issues are too significant for you to fix or negotiate, most potential buyers have a 7-day period to decide whether or not they’d like to purchase the home after an inspection is done. Talk to your realtor about the purchase contract and its inspection contingency.
- Regarding the issues, you can ask the seller to fix them, give you a cash credit at closing for you to resolve them yourself, or reduce the purchase price.
- If the property is bank-owned or being sold as-is, you can get quotes on the repairs for the issues, come up with a plan for fixing them, and decide if you’d like to proceed after looking at your budget.
We’d love to help you through the home buying process. Get in touch with us today: masondiasiorealty.com