Hunting for the perfect new home for you and your family can be exciting and fun. For many people, they easily romanticize and idealize every house they visit, and often begin to plan where they might put their furniture or how each room might be used on their initial walkthrough. Getting a home inspection from a qualified and licensed home inspector is a vital step on the road to purchasing a new home, and can help to provide clarity and insight into the pros and cons of purchasing a particular home. Building Insights offers the best in service and approaches each inspection with the utmost care and attention. A home inspection will help you see what’s beyond the fresh paint or new floors and reveal issues that otherwise would go unnoticed and subsequently unrepaired or unaddressed.
A thorough home inspection involves examining every nook and cranny in the home, focusing on areas that are known to be problematic or prone to structural issues. While it’s true that most sellers are not trying to dupe you or be dishonest, in most cases they will do everything they can to sell you their home. In some instances, this may mean they are not forthcoming or perhaps unaware of the possible issues within their home.
Are Home Inspections really Necessary? Is it Bad to Skip a Home Inspection?
Many people wonder if a home inspection when considering the purchase of a home is truly necessary. The simple answer is, yes! While you may pay your home inspector a relatively small fee, they have the potential to save you a whole lot of time, money and disappointment. Imagine purchasing your dream home only to discover that it has a mold problem, or bad plumbing, a pest problem or unsafe electrical wiring. By that point it will be too late, and any repairs or renovations required will fall solely on the buyer of the home.
What Happens during a Home Inspection?
The home inspector will conduct a thorough evaluation of the home, examining both the interior and exterior while keeping an eye out for some specific things.
Inside the home the inspector will:
-Check the foundation of the house as well as the basement for any structural issues, cracks or water leaking
-Examine the walls, ceilings and floors for any damage or defects
-Turn on and off all taps and faucets, gauging the water pressure and ensuring they are in working order, as well as flushing all toilets
-Check all electrical outlets, switches and fuse box
-Check windows to ensure they open and close properly
-Examine all attics, crawl spaces, closets and spaces underneath stairs
-Conduct a thorough inspection of the heating and cooling systems
From the outside of the home, the inspector will:
-Review the exterior of the home looking for signs of weather damage, structural issues with railings, decks or balconies.
-Inspect the roof, eavestroughs, chimneys and flues
-Evaluate the grading of the house’s foundation
What Won’t a Home Inspector do?
A home inspector cannot put holes in walls or pull up flooring and they do not have x-ray vision, so often they can only provide their best guess when it comes to what might be behind the drywall or under the floor. Because of this it is important to remember that at some point you may still uncover some problems with the home, despite having a home inspection done.
Should you Ever buy a House without a Home Inspection?
No! Surprises can be great fun at birthdays or anniversaries, but not so fun when it comes to unexpected issues with your new home. You may have heard about people foregoing a home inspection in order to improve the odds of their offer being approved on a certain home, especially in a hot market. While that may be enticing to some sellers, you might want to consider why they would be keen to make the sale without an inspection. It is also important to note that purchasing and moving into a new home without a home inspection could pose a serious health and safety risk.
A home inspection from an experienced and licensed home inspector can help you understand and be prepared for any problems or issues that may need immediate attention. In addition, the home inspector may identify issues that the buyer should keep an eye on should they worsen as time passes. A home inspection can also help to leverage your offer, and often sellers will agree to remedy certain issues to secure the sale. A home inspection can help to ensure you get the best rates and terms from your mortgage broker or lender as well.
These are just a few of the many reasons it is so vitally important to secure a home inspection before finalizing your purchase of a new home. A quality home inspection can make all the difference in your decision making process and will potentially save you a significant amount of money and frustration. If you want to learn more about our home inspection procedures, services and rates or how we can help make the process of closing on a new home as smooth and stress free as possible, contact us today! At Building Insights, our inspections are 100% satisfaction guaranteed, and can often be scheduled as soon as 24-48 hours from your initial call.
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