Home Buying Checklist – The Importance of getting a home inspection.
When buying a home and while in the escrow process. You’re typically afforded the right to a home inspection. It is highly advisable to conduct that inspection as soon as possible once your offer is accepted. Never waive your inspection or “have a friend check it out”.
Here’s why:
1. Over 20 years of being in this business, I have seen hundreds of problems come up during the professional inspection. Everything from plumbing, appliances and even creatures living in walls.
These things would have been passed on to you if you didn’t do an inspection.
2. Sellers are required by law to disclose any known material defect in the home that could affect the value of the home regardless of how small.
Sometimes when someone lives with a ‘thing’ for so long they don’t see it as a problem. It’s just part of their normal day so they don’t give it a second thought and they might not disclose it.
Without an inspection, you inherit those problems and are left to deal with them.
3. Items found during an inspection can become a negotiating point in your favor.
What I mean is that you can tell a seller that you either want some or all of the items repaired, that you want a credit toward closing costs at closing in lieu of repairs or that you are willing to waive repairs if the seller is willing to accept your offer over another buyer with a similar offer but they are insisting on repairs or credits.
But the moral of the story is very simple. Unless you have a professional inspection completed and documented to use as leverage, you’ll miss out every time.
Home inspection costs vary but is a critical part of your Home Buying Checklist.
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