If you’re buying a house and trying to decide if you should spend the money on the home inspector - the answer is ABSOLUTELY YES!. It’s not uncommon for buyers to forgo a home inspection in order to make their offer more appealing or simply save money, but this is a huge gamble. You may get the house, but you also might get some unexpected and expensive problems with it. If you want to decrease your chances of getting issues when buying a home, an inspection is a must.
When you do not get a home inspection you’re relying on the seller to disclose everything that is wrong with the house. This is risky because some sellers just will not do it, while others might really not know. Having a third party expert evaluate the house is the best way to get an honest and informed opinion.
You must know that getting a home inspection is not a guarantee that you will uncover every problem. The home inspection process is far from perfect, but is much better not doing it.
A home inspector will evaluate the exterior and interior of a house, looking for few things (including but not limited to the following list).
A good inspector will:
• Check the fuse/breaker panel, electrical outlets and switches.
• Toilets and faucets to make sure they work properly.
• Make sure all the windows open and close.
• Check the floors, walls and ceilings for any defects or damage.
• Make sure the basement or foundation does not have any water leakage.
• Inspect the cooling and heating systems.
• Make sure the attic and any crawl spaces to assess insulation.
• Evaluate the closets and under the stairs.
• Inspect chimneys and flues.
• Inspect roof.
• Look around the entire exterior of the building structure for signs of weather damage.
• Look for any issues with exterior decks.
• Inspect the foundation for cracks or other issues.
• And much more.
I always recommend all my clients to get the home inspection, it is worth every penny in my opinion and will give you a peace of mind.
