How to Get a Home You’re Buying Professionally Inspected
Buying a home is one of the most important decisions in life. It is essential to know whether your future home has any hidden problems that will require time and money to solve. Be sure to check out these tips to ensure you cover all your bases before closing on your new home.
Always hire an independent, trusted inspector to make sure that the home you’re buying is in good physical condition. The current owner might not know about issues with the home. Don’t depend on the home seller to get the home inspected for you.
A good real estate team should be able to connect you with a thorough and reputable home inspector.
Generally an inspection only costs a few hundred dollars and takes a few hours — but it could save you a lot of time and money.
Your home inspector will look for any defects or problems with the home’s:
- Structural soundness
- Electrical systems
- Plumbing
- Foundation
- Windows
- Doors
- Roofing
- Heat and AC systems
An excellent home inspector will also be on the lookout for problems including dry rot and other issues. Also, if you don’t plan on sharing your home with pests, be sure to find out whether your home inspector can check for infestation problems on the property. In some cases, you will need to hire an additional licensed pest inspector to create a separate report.
When going under contract, it is almost always helpful to include a contingency that allows you to get the home inspected and back out of the deal in case an inspection reveals a problem with the property’s condition that you and the seller can’t resolve.
Make sure you understand every part of the inspector’s report, and keep paper and digital copies for both you and the seller. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if the inspector uses industry jargon that you don’t quite understand. Your real estate agent should also be able to help you address any concerns you may have about the condition of a home, and communicate with any independent inspectors you hire.
If anyone you know needs to buy or sell a home in the DMV, contact The Keri Shull and Orange Line Living Team today!