Do I Need To Get A Home Inspection?

One question we are frequently asked when working with buyers is “do I need a home inspection”?   Unless you are purchasing a brand new, custom built home that has been inspected through each step of the building process, then the answer is a resounding YES! Believe it or not, there are some times when I would even recommend a home inspection for a brand new home too!  Trust me, not all builders are created equal!

A home inspector is going to do a more thorough check with a different set of eyes – and with a different set of expectations than your real estate agent.  They are going to crawl UNDER the house (most agents don’t do that), they are going to crawl in the attic, they are going to get ON the roof, they are going to poke, prod and peer into every nook and cranny.   As a neutral party to the transaction, they are going to tell you what you NEED to know about the house you’ve fallen in love with.

Another question we are asked frequently is whether or not you should attend the inspection.  If you are able, I strongly suggest it.  If the home inspector finds something that needs to be fixed, he can take the time and show it to you if you’re there.  You can ask him any questions and get a good reading of how serious it is, or isn’t.  This is much better than you just reading the report and not knowing if you should be freaking out about something you read there or not!

Case in point.  Last week we closed on a house.  When I wrote the offer, the buyer asked me “do I need to get a home inspection” and as usual I said yes.  Armed with the names of a couple of inspectors, she called them and set up an appointment for the next day with one.   Since I had to open the lockbox and let them all in, I went as well.  The majority of the inspection went perfectly except for one issue – the corner of foundation/crawl space had a significant crack on each side of the corner.  He took us under the deck (I could stand upright so no crawling) and showed it to us. By being there she was able to ask him questions and get her concerns addressed and we moved forward with the closing and made arrangements to have it fixed.  I am afraid that if she had received the report via email and read the home inspectors comments rather than hearing them and asking questions, she might not have been so anxious to proceed.

Keep in mind that the inspector is going to cite any issue he finds, even it it might be functioning properly today.  They may say something  like “the roof is nearing the end of it’s useful life”. That doesn’t mean it’s leaking and needs to be replaced.

Always check the home inspectors “warranty” period.  Many are only 30-90 days.  This warranty covers anything that the home inspector should have seen and didn’t.  It won’t cover a stove that goes bad 30 days after closing.  It should cover a big crack in the foundation that is apparent was there before closing.

In closing, I will always recommend a home inspection.   It’s always better to find out if there is a problem BEFORE you close rather than after.

Happy Shopping!

Cyndi

Bill and Cyndi Daves are REALTORS in the mountains of NE Georgia and Western North Carolina.

If you are in need of the services of professional, caring and qualified brokers, please give us a call.

We’ll treat you like family – or better!