Introduction
According to Handy, purchasing a home is a costly affair that can take a lifetime’s worth of savings. Thus, it makes sense to be sure of the quality of the property that you want to buy before finalizing the deal. Thus, hiring a professional home inspector to inspect your new potential home is a safe bet.
The Ways
Here are a few ways why a home inspection is important when buying a home:
- It helps to determine potential structural issues – One of the top reasons for conducting home inspections is to figure out if the property has any structural issues. Structural issues can cost thousands of dollars to fix. However, home inspectors that are professional engineers can discover whether the home you want to buy has any structural issues such as cracks in the foundation walls, cracks in the ceilings and walls, or out-of-level door frames before you buy the property. Thus, hiring home inspectors can allow you to save large sums of money in the long run.
- It helps to forecast potential future expenses – Purchasing a home is a significant investment and can deplete you of your savings. However, unexpected expenses can still pop up when you finally move into the property, and it can take a toll on your bank balance. Home inspections can help you predict any future expenses you may require and allow you to make a careful budget of your finances to compare whether purchasing the home would be a suitable choice.
Home inspections can also allow you to determine whether a furnace or roof is nearing its life expectancy and the cost required for upgrade or replacement of certain components of the property such as:
- Plumbing system
- Heating systems
- Appliances
- Roofing
- Windows
- Electrical system
- Air conditioning
- It helps to reveal possible insect and pest problems – Many people don’t realize the danger of pest and insect infestation inside a home. Every year, wood-boring pests and insects such as termites cause approximately 5 billion dollars worth of damage to properties. Depending on the location of the property you want to buy, it may harbor other types of insects such as carpenter ants and powder post beetles too.
Be sure to ask your home inspector whether pest and insect inspection is included in the service since it can allow you to avoid a major headache.
- It helps in price and repair negotiations – When major problems are discovered during home inspections, you may use it as a reason to negotiate the original terms and offer made by the real estate agent or homeowner. Plus, home inspections also allow you an opportunity to request repairs from the homeowner. Although homeowners still have the option to agree or decline your request, you can only request for repairs if any problem is discovered by hiring a home inspection.
Conclusion
Handy suggests you perform home inspections before buying any property since it can allow you to uncover major safety issues.
