The Importance of Home Inspections

Buying a house is a huge expense, so should you spend a few hundred more dollars on a professional home inspection?

The short answer is ‘yes,’ because an inspection could save you a ton of money on costly surprise repairs or replacements.

A home inspection is a visual evaluation of a home from top to bottom and can help you make your final decision on a purchase.

A home inspector will look at the interior and exterior of a home, checking for things such as:
 
-       Floor, wall and ceiling defects, as well as concerns with windows or doors.
-       Problems with electrical switches and outlets.
-       Issues with the heating and cooling systems.
-       Problems with the foundation, basement, roof and exterior.
-       Possible plumbing issues.
 
There are reasons an inspector might not find every issue. That’s because they won’t put holes in the walls or pull up flooring to check for problems such as bad wiring or duct work.

A home inspection should only take a few hours at most, and a report of the findings will be prepared for you.

Depending on the results, you could use the inspection to negotiate with the seller to either fix the problems or to reduce the price of the house so you can afford to have the work done.

When looking for a home inspector, check with your realtor, mortgage lender or family or friends for recommendations, then check those names out online.
Be a wise buyer. Don’t skip the home inspection.