The investment you put into buying a house is likely to represent a big chunk of your available resources either right now in the form of an outright payment, or going forward in the form of a mortgage. With so much riding on the residence you intend to buy, it's prudent to ask a home inspection professional to take a look at a place. You may be surprised, however, to consider how many situations there are where home inspections can make a difference.
A Newly Built House
Whether you've been involved with the construction process or not, you should ask for an independent inspection of a home. For those who were involved with the process, a home inspection can confirm that everything has been completed to your specifications. For those who weren't involved, there's no reason to treat a brand new structure with any less suspicion than one that's 100 years old.
Older Homes
Spotting what might be wrong with an older house can be challenging. You may never have seen, for example, what rope wiring from 70 years ago even looks like. A home inspector will be familiar with the unique challenges that come with older residences, and they'll be able to point out problems you might not have even identified.
A House You're Familiar With
To some extent, being familiar with a place can make you a bit complacent in looking at what might be wrong with it. If, for example, you've inherited a property from a close relative, you might think you know everything that could be wrong with it. It's still better to spend a few hours walking through the place with a professional inspector to make sure nothing will catch you off guard.
What to Expect
Before you hire a home inspection company, it's good to ask how they conduct their business and what types of reports they produce. If at all possible, you should try to hire a professional who offers in-person tours with the buyers during an inspection. This will give them a chance to point directly at problems, and seeing the specific issues can reinforce your recall down the road when you're consulting with a contractor about potential fixes. In some cases, you may need to bring in a more specialized inspector, such as a roofing or foundation inspector, especially if the home inspection provider is iffy on what precisely is wrong.
Share19 September 2018
When I started looking for a new home, I realized that there were a few things I needed to be careful about. For instance, I really needed to focus on finding a home that would appreciate in value, so I began thinking about investing in the right property. After quite a bit of research, I was able to find a great neighborhood that had a big support system for my family. After we found a house we loved, we worked with a real estate agent to procure it, and it was really nice to feel like we belonged somewhere. Read this blog about ways to find amazing pieces of real estate the first time around.