You have discovered the house of your dreams, the seller has accepted your offer and now you are eager to move into your new home. Your father toured the house with you and thought everything looked great. Nevertheless, your father could not see the plumbing, electrical wiring, potential termite damage, or mold lurking inside the walls.
Before signing on the dotted line, purchasing new furniture or measuring for curtains, there is another integral step you need to take in the home buying process. You need to hire a professional home inspector.
Nearly all real estate professionals advise getting a home inspection before you close on a property. The purchase of a home is the single largest investment a buyer is likely to make in their lifetime, and getting a home inspected by a certified home inspector is akin to a patient getting a physical checkup from a physician. Potential buyers walking through the home are only able to see what is easily visible. In contrast, a home inspector sees what is visible and invisible to the untrained eye.
Generally, buyers make home offers with home-inspection contingencies. It is crucial that your real-estate contract includes a home-inspection clause. Once a home is under contract, the buyer can then employ a home inspector to inspect the property. The home inspector physically inspects from the foundation to the roof and assesses the condition of various systems including plumbing, heating, and cooling to name a few. The inspector will subsequently detail their findings in a written report within twenty-four to forty-eight hours of the inspection being completed.
The cost for a home inspection can vary from $350 to $1,000. However, you cannot put a price on the value of getting a property formally assessed. Arguably, it is a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things when making such an important capital investment.
Additionally, you also have the comfort of knowing that a professional home inspector is actually working for you and has only your best interests in mind. Other people involved in the sale of a property sale have a vested interest, including, but not limited to, commission. In contrast, an inspectors’ only obligation is to the buyer of the home.
Essentially, home inspectors have nothing to sell but the truth, and in doing so, they inform the homeowner about what is right or wrong with a property. Make certain you hire a certified home inspector, before signing on that dotted line.
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