Home and property inspections have to be paid by someone, buyer or seller, and oftentimes a potential buyer will forgo the property inspection because a home looks like it’s in good repair. This can be a costly mistake because some potential health hazards are not necessarily observable to the untrained eye. Some structural issues cannot be verified unless someone goes under the house and into a crawlspace, and still more cannot be discovered without special equipment. Environmental hazards such as black mold, for example, can lead to serious health issues or even death and requires equipment to detect. While a seller must disclose information like flooding, not all molds or rotten flooring is a result of hurricanes or floods. It can be as simple as a pipe burst or sewage backup that causes the issues. Before you begin the process of buying a home and spending your hard earned savings, you ought to at least know if the house is a) sound, and b) healthy. An added bonus of inviting a home inspector in to review the home is that he or she will also conduct a property inventory inspection. This enables you to know if the seller left with items such as fixtures that were supposed to convey with the residence.
No one likes to spend money—especially with a big ticket item purchase in the near future. However, they are important. Before you make a purchase you really ought to have a home inspection done, if for no other reason than to know what items you may have to repair once you move in and work that into your contract or even to ensure that items you may have found a selling point stay with the home. Disclosure from the seller only covers what he or she would naturally know. For total protection you really ought to have your own person come in and make notes. If there is nothing wrong with the house, you have peace of mind. If there is you want to know about it and make adjustments. Agents don’t always suggest home inspections because they are more concerned with the sale and their commission, so don’t wait for them to suggest it. A home inspection can save you thousands if there is something wrong with the house. It really is a “better safe than sorry” proposition.
