How Important is a Home Inspection?
By: Diane Tuman, Content Manager | May 28, 2008
Today’s Wiki Wednesday Feature: How Important is a Home Inspection?
If you are buying a home, getting a home inspection is perhaps one of the single-most important “checks” you need to conduct to make sure the home is safe and secure. If you are selling a home, however, is having an inspection as important? Some people might say no, but Mike Williams of Prudential Premier Properties in Springfield, PA, presents some strong reasons why you should get an inspection, whether you’re the buyer or the seller.
Buyer reasons:
- Peace of mind — Puts the buyer’s mind at ease that the home is in good shape.
- Renegotiate — If problems do arise, the buyer can negotiate a lower price or ask the seller to make repairs.
- Opt-out — If the problems are too big or unsettling, the buyer can opt-out of buying the home.
- Future needs — Buyers can learn about potential maintenance and upkeep.
Seller reasons:
- Smooth sale — Sellers can deal with any issues early that could impede the sale of their home.
- Make repairs — Sellers can repair problems before putting the house on the market.
- Help set/increase price — By making repairs, it will help set the price of the home and could even enhance the value.
- Transparency — Having a pre-inspection report available for buyers tells them that the seller has nothing to hide.
As you can see, having a home inspection is vital for both buyers and sellers and the cost is usually just a few hundred bucks — well worth it to provide peace of mind and to know what kind of house you’re getting.
Ed: Wiki Wednesdays is a weekly feature that highlights helpful or interesting articles from the Real Estate Guide.
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Comments
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Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice on May 30, 2008 9:22 pm
A home inspection is simply a must unless the buyer is tearing the home down. I have only had 1 buyer ever not do a home ispection and if that is the case then they must sign off on a disclosure saying that myself and my company have advised them.
Outside of this, I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to spend $400 in the Santa Barbara CA area towards invaluable information on their $1.5 million dollar investment…it just does not make sense.
Ned Carey on June 1, 2008 9:01 pm
I never get an inspection, but I am buyer fixer uppers and I inspect them myself. What I couldn’t understand is people who were buying in the boom without inspections, that’s almost as foolish as adjustable rate mortgages when rates are already low.
Alan Robinson on June 19, 2008 12:29 pm
Even if a seller has paid a home inspector to perform a pre-listing inspection, I would highly encourage the buyer to go ahead and hire their own inspector to perform a full evaluation on their behalf. I have seen countless times where the second inspection has revealed issues the first inspection failed to disclose. Also, the buyer may have no recourse or legal ties with this pre-listing inspector since there is no signed inspection agreement between the inspector and the buyer.
Alan Robinson, HousePro Home Inspections, Peoria,AZ 623-21-5800
Real Estate Resource on September 28, 2008 11:30 pm
Of course inspection is very important in either perspective. If I’m a buyer, I have to make sure that the home that I’m gonna living in is secured, have several features that suit my needs and the condition of the house if it is worth every bit of my money. And if I sell a house, well in order to be sold quickly, the condition should to be perfect.
Best Regards,
Jan
cant wont fail on September 29, 2008 11:08 am
yea you gotta do a home inspection before moving in i have seen so many people that havent done it and they regretted it