Benefits of an Inspection

How do you benefit from an inspection?

1. Peace of mind from an inspection
   A home inspection can give you peace of mind by confirming that the property is safe and free of major issues. 
2. Identify hidden issues
   A home inspection can uncover issues that aren’t immediately obvious, such as structural problems, outdated electrical systems, or plumbing issues. 
3. Reduce buyers remorse
   A home inspection can help you avoid regretting your purchase by identifying issues before you move in. 
   Document illegal additions
   A home inspection can identify additions, renovations, or installations that don’t meet current building codes. This can affect your taxes, insurance, and home value. 
4. Learn about the home
   A home inspection can teach you things about the home, like how to change the air filters in the HVAC unit. 
   

Home inspections are especially important if you’re buying a foreclosed property or short sale. 

After your offer to purchase a home is accepted and enters into contract, the process of near-endless disbursements commences. Various necessary expenditures, including realtor and attorney fees, will incur, and the cumulative total of these expenses may prompt you to seek opportunities for cost savings elsewhere. You may be inclined to forgo the home inspection and its accompanying $200 to $500 fee, but there are 10 compelling reasons not to do so.

1. It Provides an “Out” 

A comprehensive home inspection report can disclose vital information regarding the condition of a property and its systems, thereby informing the buyer of the potential costs, repairs, and maintenance required both immediately and in the long term. If a buyer is dissatisfied with the inspection findings, it typically presents a final opportunity to withdraw from the purchase offer.

2. Safety A home inspection can identify safety concerns such as radon, carbon monoxide, and mold, which necessitate testing in all homes. 1 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “For Your Protection: Get a Home Inspection.” Ensure that your home-buying contract stipulates that if such hazards are detected, you have the option to cancel the offer to buy. 

3. Reveal Illegal Additions or Installations A home inspection can disclose whether rooms, altered garages, or basements were completed without proper permits or failed to comply with code, as noted by Chantay Bridges of Clear Choice Realty & Associates. “If a house has illegal room additions that are un-permitted, it affects insurance, taxes, usability, and most importantly, the overall value. Essentially, a buyer is purchasing something that legally does not exist,” she explains. Even new homes with systems not installed to code will become the new homeowners’ financial responsibility to rectify and finance.

4. Protection

Home inspections are particularly crucial when purchasing an “as-is” foreclosed property or short sale. Dwellings that have been vacant often develop hazardous mold issues, which are costly to rectify and pose health concerns. According to Greg Haskett, Director of Operations at TrueBlue Total House Care, it is common for home inspectors to discover that copper plumbing lines and outdoor compressors have been removed from foreclosed properties by individuals seeking to sell copper to recyclers for profit.

5. Negotiating Tool

Realtor Jennifer De Vivo, owner of Orlando-based Lotus Door Realty, notes that the home inspection report provides an opportunity to request repairs and/or negotiate a price reduction or credit from the seller. It is essential to work with your realtor to understand what requests can and should be made to negotiate a more favorable deal.

6. Forecast Future Costs

A home inspector can estimate the installation age of major systems in the home, including plumbing, heating and cooling, and critical equipment like water heaters. They can diagnose the current condition of the structure itself and indicate how long finishes have been in the home. All components in the home have a limited lifespan. Understanding when they require replacement can inform important budgeting decisions and determine the type of home insurance coverage or warranties to consider.

7. Determine “Deal-Breakers”

De Vivo suggests that home inspections can help buyers identify how much additional money or effort they are willing and able to spend to bring the home to a condition that is personally acceptable. If you are unwilling to repair issues like faulty gutters, cracked walls, or ceilings, perhaps you are not ready to end your home buying search.

8. Learn to Protect Your Investment

The home inspector is a valuable educational resource. They can provide specific tips on how to maintain the home, ultimately saving you thousands of dollars in the long term, according to De Vivo

9. Reveal the Big Picture

Haskett recommends using home inspections to understand the intricacies of potentially the largest purchase individuals will ever make. “People often become enamored with a property based on superficial attributes such as wall color, location, or other factors, thereby overlooking underlying issues that can transform their dream home into a nightmare,” he states.

10. Insurance

According to Haskett, certain insurance companies may decline to insure a home if specific conditions are detected or if certifications like Wind Mitigation and four-point inspections are absent. “Qualified home inspectors can perform these tasks concurrently with their other services, ultimately saving home buyers time and money in the long run.”

In the end, your money is yours because you worked hard for it. You earned it and you need to protect it. But you have more important things to do with your time. And with the stress of buying a home already added to your life we want to help you insure that your investment is a sound one. Call us today and let us help you make sure your house is ready to make a home.