Five Reasons to Have a Home Inspection before You Buy

The journey to home ownership is intense. The search, the offer, the negotiations and the paperwork. It might be tempting to skip out on the home inspection, but that would be a major misstep on your part.

The buyer is responsible for paying for the home inspection, and depending on the size of the home, you’ll need to fork over about $300 to $500 to a home inspector of your choosing. While that feels like one other expense you don’t need when trying to buy a house, a home inspection is the one way to really ensure everything in the house is functioning.

Here are five reasons to invest in a home inspection:

1. As you stroll through a house as the buyer, you are probably focusing on the cosmetic things like paint, how your furniture will fit, layout and general aesthetics. But a home inspector can bring to light safety hazards, poor structural designs, water leaks and spotty appliances. An inspector will crawl into the nooks and crannies of a house, shine a flashlight in every corner and give you a detailed report to uncover needed and recommended repairs.
2. Buyers can save money by asking the seller to handle the repairs, or the seller may opt to drop the cost of the house so you can handle repairs in the future. The home inspection provides another opportunity for negotiation, and it could save you thousands of dollars if something major is discovered.
3. A home inspection report can help buyers plan for costs and repairs down the road. It will give you insights into how much longer a furnace or air conditioning unit will last, the anticipated life of a certain type of roof, and clues to when you might need to re-plumb a home or upgrade a patio deck. The repairs might not be needed immediately, but knowing these costs could be coming in the next few years can help you save and be ready for the expense in the future.
4. The home inspection is also a moment where the buyer can walk away from the property if they deem it no longer desirable based on what is found. It’s important to note that the seller is not required to do any repairs and can stick to the sales price, so if the buyer discovers some concerns – minor or major – they can terminate the sale.
5. Finally, a detailed report by a licensed home inspector can give you confidence in your home purchase investment. Buying a home is a huge expense and you want to know you are making the right choice. Why not capture every insight as you make your decision? A home inspection helps you avoid surprises and understand the details about the integrity of the home.

A good home inspection will help you understand exactly what you are about to acquire, so picking a quality inspector and paying a few hundred dollars is worth the effort and expense. A home is going to be your most expensive investment, so do your homework, get the report and run from the “money pit” if your report advises.