So, you’ve finally found the perfect home and you’re ready to buy. That’s great!
Buying a new home is an exciting time in your life, so you need to make sure you do it right. It’s very easy to get caught up in all the excitement and rush into buying it.
But be patient. This is one of the biggest purchases you’ll ever make in your life. You need to take a few steps before making an offer and a property inspection is key.
Getting a full inspection of the house before you buy may be one of the best things you could do. It can save you from a lot of future expenses and show you if there are any issues with the property.
Here are the top ten reasons you should get a property inspection when buying your new home.
The Importance of Property Inspections
Buying a new house is a big deal. Think of a property inspection as a form of insurance. You’re looking for any issues and protecting yourself from buying a problematic house.
If you’re a first-time buyer, you need to be careful not to get overexcited. Rose-tinted glasses can be real and lead to unfortunate decisions. This company helps with all aspects of buying a home and helps make the process easier.
There are a lot of great reasons to invest in a full house inspection before buying. Read on for ten of the best.
1. Reduce Risk
Buying a home can come with some risks. You won’t catch all the necessary repairs when you view the house, but a professional can.
When you’re paying a mortgage for thirty-some years, you need to remove as much risk as possible. A home inspection is a way of giving the house a check-up before you sign the dotted line.
A home inspection can save you from a lot of stress and expense in the future.
2. Power of Negotiation
A house inspection can provide you with great negotiation powers when it comes to buying. If the house is over your budget, a property inspection can help you haggle the price down.
If the housing inspector uncovers any damages, you can talk down the asking price to make it work for you.
For the buying contract, you can include a clause which will let you back out if the inspection finds issues. Also, include a clause stating the seller must take care of any repairs themselves before you buy.
3. An Inexpensive and Necessary Cost
You may think a home inspection is an unnecessary expense. But, it could be the best choice you make when buying a house.
Compared to the price you’re paying for the house, a home inspection is only a drop in the water. Most will cost between $300 – $600 depending on the size of the property.
They can uncover a lot of things which may be a big source of stress in the future. If you don’t get one done, down the line you may regret it.
4. Safety is Key
Any property inspector worth their salt will uncover issues with any home. Whether it’s old or new, there are bound to be issues with each house.
Some of these are small issues which won’t take much time or money to fix. But some may be huge problems. Safety issues can crop up and you don’t want to buy an unsafe house.
Bad electric wiring, broken windows and doors, plumbing issues. These are only a few issues that may come to light during the inspection. They are common issues but can cost a lot to get fixed.
You need to know these ahead of time before making an offer. Getting the house in a safe condition should be your top priority.
5. Uncover Illegal Extensions
When you first view the house, you may not notice any illegal additions to the property. Even real estate agents may not pick up on any illegal additions.
You may find additions to the house which haven’t had planning permission. If you go on to own this house, you’d be breaking the law.
You cannot be completely sure whether it’s illegal by yourself. Get an inspector who will find out and mitigate any risks.
6. Stay Ahead of Structural Issues
Structural issues can be a huge expense to fix and may render your house uninhabitable. It requires a professional property inspector to uncover structural issues.
If there are large wall cracks, ceiling or door frames, they could pose a huge problem in the future.
If issues like these aren’t treated, the house could be subject to a lot of damage. Get a property inspector to make a full sweep of the house for any issues like these. It will save you a lot of time, stress and money.
7. Plan For Future Costs
A property inspection can uncover costs you may need to make in the future. A proper inspection of housing features can show you if you need to replace them any time soon.
These include appliances, roofing, windows, plumbing and more. The last thing you want when moving in is to fork out for new appliances.
Ask your realtor about programs offering grants or tax incentives to replace these. This could save you a lot of money in the future!
8. Ability to Back Out
If you and the seller can’t agree on repairs or sale negotiation terms, the sale may not move forward. It’s rare for inspections to turn up enough problems to make the buyer back out, but it happens.
If you think the house poses too many risks or repairs, you can back out of the house with good merit.
It could save you time and a lot of money if you have to back out. This means you can find another home without these issues without tying yourself to a bad deal.
9. Uncover Pests or Infestations
Depending on where you are, the chances of a pest or insect infestation vary.
Pests can cause serious damage to your home, and you don’t want to be facing a pest problem as soon as you move in. Did you know that termites damage around 600,000 US homes each year? This is the very last thing you need to deal with.
Some property inspections will include a pest inspection and others will not. Make sure that you find one that does.
10. Hire the Right Inspector
Getting a reputable property inspector is essential. To find the right one, ask around friends, family and your real estate agent.
Use the internet to search for home inspectors and make sure to read their reviews.
Having someone you can trust to do a thorough job is important. When you know the inspector has a good reputation, you can rest assured the house will get a full inspection.
A Property Inspection Could Save Your Wallet
When you buy a new house, you’re dropping a large chunk of money. You need to make sure you aren’t wasting your money on a problematic house.
A property inspection can uncover a lot of potential issues and save you a lot of time, money and worry. They are well worth the investment and provide peace of mind to enjoy your new home without worry.
Are you looking to sell your old home? Check out our post on how to sell your house fast!
