Home Security
2008-07-01 15:11:00
Additional home inspections, worth it?
Answer: Absolutely, depending on the financing you’ve selected, there should be at least 2 or 3 separate inspections on the home you’re looking to purchase. The obvious and first should be your own basic inspection; the second should be performed by a professional whole-house inspector. Back to the financing, should you select a government loan (FHA or VA), a third inspection may be required, and should come at the time of the appraisal, which in reality amounts to a “mini-inspection.” Please do not rely on the appraisal as your only inspection of the property!
Many home buyers, for whatever reason, maybe the desire to save the $200 to $500 which is normally what a good inspection would cost, or due to simple ignorance, have spent large amounts of money repairing items that any good home inspector would have made them aware of. Remember when buying a home any offer to purchase should be contingent upon (subject to) a whole house inspection with a satisfactory report. Please do not let anyone (the agent, your family or friends, and especially the seller) discourage you from having the property thoroughly inspected! Not only will you rest much easier after your family has moved into the house, a professional inspection can give you an escape from a contract on a defective house. -If the contract is written contingent on an acceptable inspection, any defects in the home must be either repaired or compensated for. If you are not happy or dissatisfied, you have the option to cancel the contract.
Remember inspections are for your peace of mind, they are designed to disclose any defects in the property that could affect its safety, comfort, or resale value. They are not however designed to disclose cosmetic deficiencies, such as an interior wall that may need some paint touch up. Items of this nature are something you should be prepared to determine on your own that will need attention: don’t expect a whole house inspection to reveal them to you.
Another very important thought, do not wait until you have placed an offer on a house before you search for a quality home inspector. There is usually a time limit in the contract designating when the inspection must be completed by (typically between 7 and 14 days). If you start trying to find an inspector after the offer you may not be able to find an acceptable one that can schedule an inspection in the time frame required. At this point you will only have two choices: go with an inspector that is not your first choice, or run the risk of running past the deadline for the inspection (which could void any chance having the seller take care of repairs). Neither is an acceptable alternative!
