You’ll Thank Yourself for Getting a Home Inspection

Have you thought about getting a home inspection before you purchase your next home? When you schedule an inspection, a trained inspector will come to your home to thoroughly look over the home’s interior and exterior. They will compile a report that will alert you of any concerns they have about the home’s condition. Here are a few of the top reasons why you’ll thank yourself for getting a home inspection.

Most home contracts include an option period or inspection contingency that allows you to walk away from the deal or renegotiate the terms depending on what the inspection reveals. This protects you from taking on increased financial liability if the home needs significant repairs or has outstanding damage. Keep in mind that many of the most expensive home repairs are necessary because of issues that are nearly impossible to detect without an inspection. For example, the inspection may reveal that your home’s foundation has worn down to the point where it will need three new piers on each side to replace. This is a repair that can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and the issue will get worse over time if you don’t resolve it. The inspection will tell you if something like this is happening, and you can respond accordingly.

Sometimes homes can have pollutants or chemicals in the air that you won’t know about unless you test the air quality. These types of issues are especially common in homes that were boarded up, since this decreases airflow and ventilation through the home.

Getting a home inspection is the best way to confirm that all fixtures and additions in your home are up to code. Sometimes homeowners will make their own renovations or repairs to the property. Many people enjoy these types of projects, and doing the work themselves gives them an opportunity to save money. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, but it’s common for DIY home projects and renovations to stand in violation of important city codes. If any of these issues exist, your inspection report will highlight the violations so that you know what you need to do to resolve the problems.

Many major home components have a life expectancy. Your roof and your HVAC system are not made to last forever. If your home is already several years old, there’s a good chance that you’ll have to repair or replace certain aspects of your home in the near future. Your inspection will give you a better idea of how old each of these elements is, and whether or not there has been any work done on them in the past. This will allow you to forecast how much time you might have until there’s work that needs to be done.

If you want to get a home insurance policy, you’ll probably need to have an inspection report ready to share with your provider. It’s not always required, but many insurers will want to see an inspection report before they issue a policy so that they know what they are getting themselves into. They need to know what types of issues already exist and what they might be liable for in the future. Keep in mind that many lenders require a home insurance policy in order to protect their investment, so you might find that you’re in a position where you have no choice but to purchase a home inspection.

Like most purchases, buying a home is largely an emotional decision. You want to make the best possible investment, but you also want to buy a home that you love and that you can see yourself living in on a regular basis. It’s easy to fall in love with a home after seeing the property in person, and this can make it hard for you to respond logically once you find out that the home has structural or foundational issues. An inspection will give you all of the information that you need to determine whether or not you’re making a wise investment when you choose to purchase a home. Nobody wants to learn that the home that they love will require thousands of dollars of repairs, but it’s better to find out before you spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on the home.

Perhaps you’ve found a home that recently experienced a price drop and you’re excited about the opportunity to score a great deal. There’s likely a reason why the home has dropped in price. Maybe the home was priced too high when it first went on the market and there’s nothing wrong with its condition. There’s also a chance that the home went under contract and the first buyer discovered an issue with the home’s condition during the inspection. They walk away from the deal and the home goes back on the market for a discounted rate. Ordering an inspection will help you understand why the home’s asking price dropped. You’ll then have the chance to decide for yourself if you’re comfortable with the condition that the home is in.

Once you’re ready to take the next step toward purchasing a home in the area, reach out to The Casagrande Team. Their expert agents understand how it feels to shop for a home, especially if you’re a first-time home buyer. They will take time to answer any questions that you have, and they will educate you about the entire process so that you know exactly what to expect at each step.