September 4, 2022
Hiring a home inspector is not mandatory when you buy a home. However, a home inspection can be one of the best pre-home buying strategies a home buyer can use. Hiring a home inspector can save home buyers thousands of dollars by uncovering a home’s hidden or deferred maintenance issues or inferior structural issues.
Buying a home is the costliest purchase a home buyer ever makes, and it involves a head-spinning number of details. Hiring an independent qualified home inspector relieves some of the risks. Think of a home inspection as giving your home a health checkup before you complete the purchase agreement. One of the risks involved in buying a home is missing an expensive home repair that is not apparent to the untrained person.
Hiring a home inspector gives the buyer another chance to review their decision before buying the home. The inspection gives a home buyer a little breathing room to feel confident about the home and review the pros and cons and double-check the thought process on buying the house. Home sellers would rather sell the house without the home inspection contingency. With a home inspection contingency, if there is something wrong with the home, buyers can either renegotiate or cancel the purchase and get the earnest money returned. Hiring a home inspector costs between $300 and $500 which is a small investment compared to the number of dollars the buyer can potentially save. Often many homes need repairs costing up to $3,000 which is not uncommon. Hire the right home inspector. The best way to find a good home inspector is to ask friends and family. Find out who in your network has had an inspection done. After talking to your references, do an online search of home inspectors’ reviews and online presence. Search for “Certified Home Inspectors.” A good place to start is https://www.nachi.org/ (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors) When buying your home talk to your Realtor about the home inspection process. Also, get input about what they think is important for the home inspector to focus on for your specific needs. The Realtor will advise you on the home inspection process. It takes about 3 hours to perform a home inspection and then a couple of days to get back to the buyer with a written report. Even with the home inspection, the home seller does not have to make the repairs or adjust the price of the house, but the buyer then has the choice to buy the house knowing what repairs will be needed.
Home buyers should plan to attend the inspection. However, some buyers choose to not be present during the inspection. The inspection might be three hours long, but every minute of those hours is spent absorbing added information and allowing the home buyer to look around the house. One of the most invaluable benefits of hiring a home inspector is for the buyer to learn as much about the home as possible.
Hiring a home inspector means the inspector is looking out for the buyer's best interest. The most important goal and the primary purpose of hiring a home inspector are to protect your financial interest. Home Inspectors want to make sure buyers don't get bogged down in cosmetic blemishes — a loose doorknob, a scratch on the floor, a worn light switch cover. These small things are low-cost and easy fixes. What an inspector is looking for are expensive repairs that are not obvious, such as structural problems, safety issues, water intrusion, and components not working as intended.
By: John Schuler J & H Home Inspections, LLC Located in Horry County, SC