subject: Tips for Getting a House Inspected [print this page] Author: Kris Bickell Author: Kris Bickell
When you make an offer on a house, several conditions are usually included. One of these conditions is that the home be inspected. The home inspection should be considered an essential step if you are thinking about buying a home. Here are a few tips about the all-important home inspection. If the seller refuses, walk: If a seller says no when you insist that a home inspection be performed, withdraw your offer immediately and resign yourself to starting your search over. It's an obvious sign that they are trying to hide something. There is really no other reason they would refuse this request, since home inspections are considered standard conditions nowadays. Get your own home inspector: Unlike realtors, who want to make the sale, a home inspector is truly on your side. Their job is to spot problems with the home and point them out to the potential buyer. Don't let the buyer's agent or your realtor set up the home inspection or contact an inspector on your behalf. This is something you should do entirely on your own. Pay the extra money for a professional: Too many people decide to save a few bucks by asking a handy uncle or a close friend to come in and "take a look at the place." This is always a bad idea for several reasons. First, unless they are trained home inspectors, they don't know exactly what to look for, so there's a chance they could miss something important. And if they do miss something that ends up costing you a fortune to fix, there is really nothing you can do legally. On top of that, a great relationship might be ruined. Look for home inspectors that provide detailed reports: Some home inspectors will prepare comprehensive documents outlining everything that was looked at, problems that were found, and recommendations for fixing these problems. This document will be a handy reference tool for you, particularly if you are going to ask the seller to fix a problem with the roof or the pipes before the sale is finalized.About the Author:
Need help understanding the home buying process? Follow this step-by-step home buying checklist to avoid costly mistakes when buying a house. And learn how to find a realtor who will help you find your dream home!
