Why You Must Get An Inspection Before Buying A House!

If youre in the process of house hunting, heres aFinally, get YOUR own inspector, not one
tip that you should pay careful attention to:connected with the realtor.
Whether you are considering buying a brand newAnd as with any major contract, ask the
house, and older house in good shape, or ainspector for references first, and contact them.
handyman special, get the house inspected beforeAlso, make sure your inspector is licensed by the
closing the sale.state in which you are buying the house (most
An inspection will cost you a few hundred dollars,states require this licensing, but better to be safe).
but the knowledge you will gain and the moneyThis may help you later on if there are any
you can possibly save are a wise investment!problems.
While a home inspection is recommended by anyIts YOUR money.
good realtor, anyone who has been through theAnd YOUR house.
house buying process knows that a homeSo do EVERYTHING you can to avoid paying any
inspection is very important. In general (and itmore money than you have to!
may be different in your state) home inspectorsDuring the inspection, walk through the house with
are NOT licensed contractors.the inspector. Watch everything that the
So, while they will look at the overall condition ofinspector inspects (and does not inspect) and ask
your electrical, plumbing, and carpentry, you mightas many questions as you want to learn as much
want to consider hiring a licensed contractor oras you can about the house.
engineer to do your home inspection. Its moreLook at everything little and big such as outlets,
expensive, but if major problems exist ones thatswitches, faucets, small areas, phone lines, etc.
most people could not identify it will more thanThe inspector might take a quick look at these
pay for itself.items, but make sure everything works all light
AT THE VERY LEAST, if you see potentialswitches, outlets, etc. If not, have the inspector
problems, hire a plumber, electrician, and carpenterput it on the report.
to give you an estimate for any possible repairs.After the inspection, you should receive a written
Some will do this for a small fee, some will do itreport. Make sure you read between the lines of
free, but either way, it will be well worth thethe inspection report - and take your time reading
peace of mind!the fine print. The sellers will want a response
If there are any problems with the house, askwithin a few days, and you dont want to miss
the seller to fix them.the deadline.
The seller is NOT required to fix them, so if theyBut at the same time, take your time reading
say no, you need to decide whether you want tothrough the report!
fix them yourself (and if you can even afford toYou would think that items that should be
fix them). Or if you want to call off the deal andaddressed would be highlighted, but thats not
look for a new house (but make sure to consultalways the case.
with your lawyer first!). These inspections costSo take your time, and read the report
money, but major surprises can cost you much,thoroughly!
much more!If ANYTHING is broken, or even questionable,
Make sure you look OUTSIDE the house as well.consider hiring a specialist for the chimney, pool,
Have the septic inspected, have the wellcentral air, etc. many professionals will come out
inspected, look around the yard and check outfor free to take a look at the items, and give
the entire property. Dont overlook anything thatyou a quote!
might cost you money later on.Even if the sellers dont agree to fix all the
Ask the sellers for service records of anyproblems (which is likely, so dont worry) its better
appliances that will stay with you, such as thefor you to know, and avoid costly surprises after
furnace, central air conditioning, etc.you move in!