Why a Home Inspection? Good for Buyers and Sellers!
A home inspection will look at the systems that make up the building such as:
- Structural elements, foundation, framing, etc
- Plumbing systems
- Roofing
- Electrical systems
- Cosmetic condition, paint, siding, etc
When buying a home, it is best to access all avenues available to help you know exactly what you are getting! A home inspection, performed by a professional home inspector, may reveal hidden problems with the home. You can require an inspection at the time you make a formal offer and accordingly make sure the Buy/Sell contract has an inspection contingency. Then, hire your own inspector and pay close attention to the inspection and report given following an inspection. If you aren't comfortable with what an inspector finds, you may ask the Seller to make the correction, get a second opinion, negotiate to have the correction made or a new price, or even withdraw your offer.
Likewise, if you are selling a home, you want to know about any potential hidden problems. Sometimes Sellers pay for their own inspection before putting their home on the market to find out about any hidden problems and correct them in advance. Almost all Buy/Sell contracts include the condition that the offer is contingent upon completion of a satisfactory inspection. Most buyers are going to ask that the inspection be a professional home inspection, by an inspector they hire, and also may do a pest and radon inspection.