Getting a home inspection can feel like an unnecessary expense but rest assured it will be the best money you’ve ever spent on your home. Here are the top 12 reasons you need a home inspection before you purchase the home of your dreams. Otherwise, you may later discover that its the home of your nightmares.
1. Discover Safety Hazards
Safety is the #1 reason to get a home inspection before you buy a house or any structure. You will especially want to know if there are any roof or pipe leaks. Why? Because leaks are the cause of mold & mildew. Actively growing mold causes damage to the surfaces it lives on, such as Structural Components, Falling Roofs, and even cosmetic damage. Not to mention it will eventually cause a nauseating odor!
2. Provides an “Out”
When house shopping, you are naturally disqualifying homes that are outside of your buying parameters. Such parameters may be budget, move-in readiness, and projected maintenance costs. A responsible home buyer will be looking for just as many (if not more) reasons to not buy a home, than reasons to buy a home.
With a Home Inspection, you will have a clear understanding of what your budget should be, how long any necessary repairs will take, and how soon you will have to start repairing appliances and components.
3. Negotiation Advantage
You will have an advantage during the negotiation process. An invasive home inspection will provide you with a list of repairs that you can use to have the home seller provide credit and decrease your price of the home you’ll be buying.
You may have heard “Never judge a book by its cover” before. When buying a house, you may encounter freshly painted walls, new carpet, and gorgeous exterior. But, beware! There may be leak stains and wall cracks under the paint or mold, and termites under the carpet. You just won’t know until you’ve gotten a thorough inspection of the home.
Take a look at our sample report, it will give you a good idea of how you’ll be able to use a home inspection to your advantage when negotiating price. We also consult an (unbiased) specialist contractor when we find major problems that need a more detailed outline of repair costs, especially if you are still considering making the purchase.
4. Project Maintenance Costs
Nothing lasts forever, and the home is composed of many appliances and components. From pipes to air conditioning ducts, a home inspection can assess how much life is still left in the various parts of your home.
A proper home inspection will give you a good idea of your projected maintenance cost in the foreseeable future. With this information, you can decide whether or not you want to take on those repair costs, and if those costs fit into your budget.
5. Peace Of Mind
There isn’t anything better than having peace of mind when buying a home. You don’t want to feel uneasy about putting down that big deposit and taking out a loan on a house that’s worth a small fortune. Imagine purchasing a beautiful antique-style home built in the late 1950s – not knowing if the ceiling is going to fall in on you one day.
You won’t get any sleep with that in the back of your mind! It’ll stress you out – BIG TIME!!
Especially if you live in a county such as Los Angeles, you’ll want to make sure to cross all your t’s and dot all of your i’s when buying a home. Knowing that you made the right decision will mean the difference between a Dream Home and a Nightmare Home.
6. Insurance & Illegal Additions
You may come across many homes with great-looking additions. However, how can you be sure that your insurance will cover those? If the additions were done legally, you should be good to go. If not, you’ve got a problem on your hands!
We’ve done over 2,000 home inspections, and we see it all the time. Cities or districts may update the building codes in an area. Not all homeowners are required to bring their homes up to the current building code, but if they ever want to perform new constructions on their homes – they will need to bring their homes up to code and obtain the proper building permits.
Of course, some people just skip this step, and build onto their homes anyway! You’ll want to be aware of this by hiring a home inspector that knows the building codes and will check to make sure you’re eligible for insurance.
7. Protect Your Investment
Whether you’re buying a house as your forever home, or if it’s a real estate investment you surely want to make sure everything is in proper working order. Seriously, who would want
It doesn’t matter if you’re buying a house, a condo, or a commercial building. Your buying steps should include a home inspection. Imagine buying a home that needs a full roof replacement – and you didn’t know until you were getting the shingles replaced just a few months later.
8. Avoid Liability Issues
From Falling Gutters to Collapsed Staircases, you will want to be made aware of any problems with your new home. A thorough inspection can reveal much more than the naked eye can see.
Especially if you are or ever planning to rent out your home, you may be held liable for any injuries caused due to negligence (or ignorance) of hazardous conditions of the home. One issue is structural integrity.
The foundation of the home is a key part of this structural integrity and can potentially affect other parts of your home.
It is better to be safe than sorry!
9. Avoid Costly Repairs
One of the most important reasons why you should get a home inspection before you buy a home is to avoid costly repairs. An experienced Home Inspector will alert you of any issues with the home, that may require immediate attention from your wallet. We’ve seen it time and time again; An excited buyer eager to buy the home that they fell in love with, paying top dollar. Then, many issues occur. The appliances (HVAC, Water Heater, Electrical Connections, Etc.) start to malfunction.
Sometimes, it can make sense to purchase a property – even with costly repairs. What I’m saying, is that you should know about those costly repairs. This way, you can make a decision yourself as to whether or not it makes sense to go ahead and buy the property. Of course, we always recommend that you at least attempt to negotiate in the event that you come across costly repairs on your Home Inspection Report.
10. Termites
Termites are a common problem in homes because they more often than not live in places you can’t see. An invasive home inspection will reveal the existence and severity of any termite problems. This isn’t to say that you won’t encounter termites again in the future, however, termites cause structural damage.
You will want to have knowledge of structural damage caused by termites and have repair estimates for those damages.
11. Planning
You may have construction plans in mind for your potential home. A home inspection will let you know if the home is up to code. Wouldn’t it be annoying to purchase a home, only to find that you’ll have to spend even more money getting your home up to proper building codes before you can make those additions?
12. Cost Efficiency
Home Inspections are an inexpensive investment in your home buying process. The industry average price of a home inspection in California is around $400. The price varies depending on the size of your home, type of home, location, etc. Here at Inspect A Home, Our prices start at $230 – just to give you an idea of low prices can be compared to potentially thousands of dollars in costs you’ll save.
For more information about home inspections, please check out our FAQ page.