Home inspections are important but how important are they when buying a condo? The siding, roof and general frame of the property is all covered by the Home Owners Association, right? They can take care of that…. However, would you buy a lemon car that had mounds of problems even if the dealership promised to repair them? Probably not. This is why having an inspection of the condo AND the association is so vital to your purchase. [Read more…]
5 Important Things to Know About Your Home Inspection
Before finalizing on a home purchase it is imperative to get an inspection. This home inspection is to be conducted right after mutual acceptance of the purchase and sale agreement or the offer. Once mutual acceptance has happened the earnest money can be deposited or held with the escrow or title company and the transaction moves on to “subject to inspection”. It is at this point that the buyer needs to schedule a home inspection from a professional inspector. This can be scheduled through the buyer’s agent, a local company or the buyer themselves but there are five important things you should know about the home inspection. [Read more…]
Do New Homes Need Inspections?
Buying a new home is an exciting venture. New home/new you! Despite being very exciting, homebuyers may think they can skip the inspection because if something is brand new it should be perfect. Right? Just as a brand new car may have issues, new homes can too and that inspection can be a real revelation.
Not only should you conduct a final walk-through of your new home, but also have a non-biased home inspection. If you are customizing the house, you want to make sure the builder or developer used the correct materials and finishes you chose. Perhaps the tile is the wrong color, slightly crooked or the carpet should have gone down the hall instead of stopping at the top of the stairs. These little details are obvious to homebuyers that chose the materials but there are things that go far deeper than cosmetics in new homes that a professional home inspector should check out and correct before you sign on the dotted line.
Defects can happen and many new homes come with warranties to guard against such things. Nevertheless, if you do not know about them, you cannot argue for them. If you have never lived in the home, you may not know that you can hear people walking on the second story, or that the pipes knock when using the washing machine, or that the back door rattles when the front door closes. While a home inspector may not be able to catch all these issues, they can inspect places most homeowners will never tread. This includes the crawl space, attic, roof, and under sinks for plumbing issues.
Read more: 5 Major Home Inspection Red Flags
Home inspectors will be able to tell if the installation was proper. Most new homes have builder grade materials and appliances but a new homeowner may not realize some appliances are not adequate for the size of the home. We inspected a 3,000 sq. ft. home and found that the installed furnace only heated 1500 sq. ft. This would have cost the homeowner hundreds if not thousands in heating and cooling costs! Most homeowners would not realize this until they are calling the electric company wondering why their bill is through the roof.
Related: 10 Little Known Tips for Home Buyers
You would be shocked to discover what some of our inspectors have found; missing siding, unattached ductwork, broken roof trusses, raised roof shingles and more! These things should be fixed before homeowners take residence.
Having a building inspection and signing off on a permit is not the same as a home inspection designed specifically for the future homeowner. It pays to have this type of inspection done; every. single. time…. Do not neglect it!
Contact me today to find a home inspector in your area for your new construction home.