Home Inspectors & Buying New Homes
Do you remember the last time you purchased a new car? There is some magical spell that is cast upon you when you cross the threshold of the car dealership. I call it New Car Fever. I believe it has something to do with the unmistakable aroma of new car upholstery, bright chrome, and fenders with no dents.
The same sort of feeling happens when you start looking for a new home. You have a tendency to overlook flaws. This happens - I believe - because certain brain reasoning/judgment chemicals are blocked by the stronger dream chemicals.
Purchase my Easy-to-Use Home Inspection Checklist Now. This Simple-To-Use Tool allows you to spot many defects before you have to hire a real inspector. You can then eliminate a house and move on to one with fewer defects.
You have nothing to lose. If my checklist doesn't work for you, I'll give you your money back. Oh, one more thing, it's an Instant Download! You can have the checklist in your hands just minutes from now!
You Need Help...
When buying a new or existing home, you need some help. The best help comes from a person who has no emotional attachment to the buying transaction whatsoever. A friend or family member is not always the best choice. They may share in your excitement and possibly overlook obvious flaws in the house or lot. Mistakes like this can be costly.
I believe the best person to be your guide through the house evaluation process is a seasoned home inspector. This person checks the health of the house and issues you a concise written report.
Expectations
Is it reasonable for an inspector to find every flaw in a house? Not really. Very few people have x-ray vision like the comic book hero Superman. It is unrealistic for you to expect such performance from a home inspector.
Seasoned inspectors can detect problems from very small clues. They may see a small deposit of efflorescence on a basement wall that you didn't even see. This powdery deposit is a sure sign of water infiltration or leakage. An inspector may note that you are buying a house at the bottom of a hill or in a valley. This may present a problem during periods of heavy rain.
Some inspection companies offer different types of inspections. One is more detailed and thorough than the other. If you are making a major investment, a detailed inspection may be worth its weight in gold at a later date.
Realtor Referrals
I happen to be a licensed real estate broker. I have had my broker's license for nearly 15 years. Home inspectors can be deal killers. In other words, a salesperson or a broker works his/her tail off to sell a house. The inspector comes along and finds numerous faults. The buyers back out of the deal and start the process all over. Each additional hour the Realtor spends dilutes the earned commission. Can you see where I am headed with this one? A dishonest or hungry Realtor may want you to use an easy inspector. I know this for a fact as it has been discussed in my continuing education classes! You can ask for names of home inspectors from your Realtor, but I would personally choose one that is certified by an association that requires rigorous testing and re-certification.
Pre-Inspections
Hiring a home inspector to look at each house you are interested in can get expensive. If you have never purchased a house before, you are at the greatest risk of making a mistake. The checklist I have developed should allow you to notice defects that can cost you significant dollars to repair or replace. Use the checklist as a report card for each house you look at. You will soon see that there is no such thing as a perfect house, but ones that can come close.
Never the First One
Don't ever make an offer on the first house you look at. It can be deadly. You need to look at 4 or 5 houses at a minimum - if possible - to get a feel of what is on the market in your area. You will be shocked at the difference in houses and the care taken to maintain them. Pay attention to details when possible. Look at storage opportunities. Pay attention to compass orientation. In other words, which way does the sun shine into what windows? It may be important if you are a gardener.
Overall Condition
When you walk through a house for the first time, go slowly. Look at the walls, ceiling, floors and fixtures. Judge the overall condition. Write down your thoughts on a pad of paper as you go. You may look strange, but these notes will prove invaluable if and when you sit down to make an offer on the house. If there are lots of minor defects, you can incorporate a fix-it list into your offer or deduct monies from your purchase offering price to cover the repairs.
The Inspection Contingency
The language in your offer to purchase regarding your professional home inspection is critical. You need to make sure that you can get out of the contract AND get all of your earnest money back if there is a big problem!
EXTRA NEWS from Tim Carter:
Purchase my Easy-to-Use Home Inspection Checklist Now. This Simple-To-Use Tool allows you to spot many defects before you have to hire a real inspector. You can then eliminate a house and move on to one with fewer defects.
You have nothing to lose. If my checklist doesn't work for you, I'll give you your money back. Oh, one more thing, it's an Instant Download! You can have the checklist in your hands just minutes from now!
Related Articles: The Existing Home Inspection, Home Inspection Checklist, Home Inspector Certification Associations