There are many decisions that home buyers must make during the home buying process. One of the most important decisions is whether or not to get a home inspection. Understanding the helpfulness of a home inspection and becoming familiar with the home inspection process can help home buyers understand why so many choose to get them and how to gather helpful information when doing so themselves.
Why Should You Get a Home Inspection?
Walking through a home for the first time, it’s hard to tell if a home’s plumbing, foundation, furnace and attic are in good condition. In fact, there are a lot of hidden or difficult to access parts to every house, and home buyers often make an offer without knowing whether or not those parts are in good condition. In addition, an inspector can help spot any additions or major repairs to the home.
A good home inspection takes the mystery out of the home buying process and enables home buyers to go into the home buying process with open eyes. Home buyers don’t have to be experts on all the various systems in the house; this is why they pay for a home inspection. Even if a buyer or investor is looking for more of a fixer-upper home project, the information gained during the inspection will help them assess whether or not they should move forward with the home in question.
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Should You Attend the Home Inspection?
Whenever possible, it’s a good idea for home buyers to attend their home inspection in person. Many home inspectors will talk about homes as they walk through, and will even answer questions from buyers who are present. In fact, home buyers can glean a lot of helpful information about their potential new home just by being present at the home inspection.
Asking questions like “how would you fix that?,” “would you buy a house with this problem?” and “is this a problem that needs to be fixed right away?” can help buyers assess whether or not the home they’re trying to buy is in good condition.
In addition, many home buyers use the opportunity to discover tips and tricks for caring for their home. It’s common for home inspectors to share information about home maintenance and repair, so buyers are able to move into their new home with an arsenal of information to help them maintain their property.
What Are Your Options if Your Home Inspection Reveals Problems?
It’s important for home buyers to realize that nearly all home inspections will reveal a few (or many) problems, except maybe in cases where the home is new construction. When the home inspection reveals problems, the best way to proceed is usually spelled out in the purchase agreement – if there is currently a contract on the home.
If there is no contract on the home, the buyer can write the contract with the home’s maintenance problems in mind. The buyer may choose to offer a lower price for the house, or the buyer may request that the seller fix the property as a condition of buying the home.
If the home is already in contract, the buyer may make an amendment to the original purchase agreement, provided that the issues the inspection turns up are not issues that would have been evident when the home buyer walked through for the first time. For example, a home buyer may make an amendment to the purchase agreement if the inspection turns up an electrical problem with the HVAC system. However, it may be harder to make an amendment about an obvious problem, like a hole in the wall or a broken door.
Also Read: 5 Advantages of Living in a Waterfront Property
What Can You Do to Make an Amendment to a Purchase Agreement?
If you’re a home buyer who would like to make an amendment to a purchase contract for a home you’re trying to buy, work with your real estate professional to get that amendment in place. Your real estate professional can help you negotiate a better price or request that the home seller make the repair as a condition for purchasing the home.
Getting the most out of a home inspection doesn’t need to be difficult. in most cases, the inspector is working for, and represents the buyer of the home. For more information about inspection and all things real estate, talk to a real estate professional.