Never buy a house without getting a home inspection. If you waive the home inspection, a seller might lower the asking price and agree to your counteroffer. However, this will come to bite you in your pocket in the long run.
Let’s suppose you found your dream house. It’s close to your office, has plenty of amazing facilities nearby, and the neighborhood has a low crime rate. You couldn’t have asked for a better house. However, the price is a little out of your range.
You talk with the seller, and he ties the deal with a neat little bow saying that if you let go of the home inspection, he will throw in a few incentives and lower the price by $20,000.
Feeling ecstatic, you agree to the deal and shake hands. After a few days of moving in, you find out multiple problems in the house. There’s a bat infestation in the attic, the roof is leaking, the guest bathroom toilet is backing up, and the garbage disposal won’t work.
You spend around $25,000 getting all these problems fixed.
You could have avoided these expenses if you had opted for a home inspection:
The Home Inspection Process
A home inspection usually costs between $200 and $300 or more, depending on how big the house is. It takes several hours to complete the inspection, as the home inspector uses special tools to check the appliances and foundation for any problems. They take pictures, make notes, and comment on everything they find out of place or not working.
As a buyer, you should hire a home inspector who’s not biased. If you have a child living with you, the inspector will look at any potential child-safety issues the house might have.
The inspector will not comment on the home’s look unless there is a safety problem. For example, a stain on the wall and peeling paint might indicate water damage. After the inspection is done, the inspector will determine whether the house is compliant with the building codes or not.
Things Home Inspectors Look At
Here’s a list of all the appliances, systems, and areas home inspectors look at:
- Air Conditioning System
- Heating System
- Roof
- Interior Electrical and Plumbing Systems
- Attic (For Insulation)
- Floors
- Walls
- Ceilings
- Windows and Doors
- Structural Components
- Foundation
- Basement
Follow-Up Costs
If the home inspection reveals problems with the house that requires in-depth inspection, you will have to hire a specialist home inspector to confirm the presence of said problems. These problems include:
- Termite Infestations
- Radon
- Asbestos
- Mold
- Lead Paint or Piping
- Water Damage
In the case of asbestos and lead (two materials used in old houses), you will have to replace the plumbing system and the sewer lines.
When touring a house, always ask about the major features of the house like the roof, the HVAC system, plumbing, etc. If you plan to look into Orlando real estate, visit the Megan Dowdy Realty website or call 407-509-9279.
