As you begin the process of buying or renting a home, the first thing on your list of things to do should be to have a home inspection. Many people do not realize that by having a home inspection, it will relieve them of a lot of financial troubles that may arise in a home in the future or shortly after moving in. A home inspection is when someone comes and evaluates a property and determines most of the significant things that maybe wrong the property.
So how important is a home inspection to you? If you want to know whether the roof of your new dream home will cave in within a few months or in the near future, If you, as the buyer or renter, wanted to know if the home was wired and working correctly. If you wanted to know whether the home is in need of a new water heater, or if you wanted to know whether the basement floods. Then you should have your home inspected prior to moving in.
When buying a home, most realtors will let the home owner decide whether they want to have their home inspected or not. So who gives home inspections? The home inspector is a licensed, in some states not licensed, professional who is paid to inspect homes for buyers, sellers, and renters. He/she will evaluate the home and let the, potential, buyer/renter, and some cases, sellers know of any problems the home may have. Often times, the home inspector will give simple remedies to fix the problems that he or she comes across. You can find a home inspector around your area simply by looking in a phone book or a search online. Ultimately, having a home inspection separates people from being sold, or rented something that is not up to their standards.
Who should get a home inspection? Everyone. For a homeowner looking to sell a home it is best for you to get the home inspected just to build trust with a potential buyer. You have helped to eliminate one more thing on the buyers’ list of things to do. If you have already taken the time and the initiative to get the home inspected they don’t have to. Make sure to keep the inspection up to date. Sometimes it takes a long time before your home is purchased, and having documentation on a home that has been inspected three months ago does not ease a person’s mind. A lot of times you, the buyer, are still residing in the home until it is sold. During that time anything can happen. You should not get your home inspected once every month because that can be costly, but you should make sure to keep notes on the homes progress and when it warrants it, get another inspection. As a seller you should be aware of the precautions that a lot of buyers will take, so do not get offended if the, potential, buyer wants to bring in their own inspector before considering buying the home. As a buyer you should make sure to get the home inspected to be sure the house is as safe and functional as it may look. Renters should inspect a home as well.
Sometimes it may not seem as important, because you figure you are only renting the place and any damages to the home the landlord will have to fix anyway. There will be no out-of-pocket expense to you, that is true, but sometimes it is better to know before hand whether or not your roof could potentially fall on you or your children’s head. A home that is not safe can be dangerous.
What exactly will happen during the inspection and what does it include? Routine home inspections usually deal with the inspector looking at the structure of the home such as: the floors; for loose floorboards, the roof; for leaks and the gutters, the ceiling; for cracks, and the walls; for weakness. The inspection also deals with the plumbing of the home. Making sure everything is flowing correctly. Checking the toilets and the pipes, along with the drainage. The inspector will check to make sure the circuit breakers, ceiling fans, and light fixture are working properly. They check the paint, sidewalks, driveways and outside drainage. All of these things and more are evaluated as the inspector goes in and out of the home.
Although not all home inspectors are licensed, they have to be licensed to accurately check for asbestos, radon, mold and mildew. A person can do a run through of a home and see if the home has mildew and mold. Sometimes you need the licensed inspector to be able to let you know if you have black mold in the walls. They are trained to test and search for those things in the areas that a normal person would not think to look. Mildew and mold can make a person very sick.
So when you are looking for a home; getting a home inspector should be the first thing on your list of things to do. It can save you a lot of money on repairs that could be fixed either by the previous owner, or yourself… before the situation gets any worse. Home inspections have helped a lot of people decide whether or not a home is worth pursuing. Because there are so many homes being sold without the buyer’s interest in mind it is better if you, the buyer or renter, took your own interest in mind. Homes that are bought from someone whose home is soon to be in foreclosure are not thinking about leaking roofs; bad light fixtures, new water heaters, and things of that nature. The only thing on that person’s mind is getting out of that mortgage, before it is foreclosed, as soon as possible. Think before you buy. Home inspections can help you, but only if you help yourself and hire an experienced and licensed professional home inspector. Home inspections will be your lifeline.
home-inspection
