Whether you are buying or selling a
home, you should have a professional home inspection performed.
A home inspection will look at the
systems that make up the building such as:
- Structural elements, foundation, framing etc
- Plumbing systems
- Roofing
- Electrical systems
- Cosmetic condition, paint, siding etc
If you are buying a home, you need to
know exactly what you are getting. A home inspection, performed by a professional home
inspector, will reveal any hidden problems with the home so that they may be addressed
BEFORE the deal is closed. You should require an inspection at the time you make a formal
offer. Make sure the contract has an inspection contingency. Then, hire your own inspector
and pay close attention to the inspection report. If you aren't comfortable with what he
finds, you should kill the deal.
Likewise, if you are selling a home,
you want to know about such potential hidden problems before your house goes on the
market. Almost all contracts include the condition that the contract is contingent upon
completion of a satisfactory inspection. And most buyers are going to insist that the
inspection be a professional home inspection, usually by an inspector they hire. If the
buyers inspector finds a problem, it can cause the buyer to get cold feet and the deal can
often fall through. At best, surprise problems uncovered by the buyers inspector will
cause delays in closing, and usually you will have to pay for repairs at the last minute,
or take a lower price on your home.
It's better to pay for your own
inspection before putting your home on the market. Find out about any hidden problems and
correct them in advance. Otherwise, you can count on the buyers inspector finding them, at
the worst possible time. |
