Whether you’ve purchased five homes or are about to buy your first, a home inspection is almost always recommended. You will actually find that it is one of the most common contract contingencies from home buyers is a home inspection. Continue reading to find out why a home inspection is so important and will benefit you in the purchase of your new home!

Home Inspections Reveal Safety Issues

Having a home inspection completed gives you the opportunity to have your potential home thoroughly investigated. A good and experienced home inspector will always find some issues with a home, even a newly built home. Some findings may not pose a huge threat, but some could potentially be serious and life-threatening issues, like mold or faulty wiring. 

Worn roofs, inoperable windows, and plumbing deficiencies are some common home inspection findings. The end goal of having an inspection performed isn’t to make sure every detail of the home is perfect to your liking, but to discover and take care of any safety issues. 

Home Inspections Can Identify Future Repairs

Buying a home can be a pretty significant investment, and a lot of buyers will be left with what feels like a depleted bank account. This means it’s important to know what lies ahead as far as expenses with your new home. 

Your home inspector could make you aware that the roof is coming close to the end of its life, so it would be a good idea for you as the buyer to keep that in the back of your mind, and possibly start setting some money aside to replace it in the future. This could also be the case for windows, appliances, air conditioning, and many other things. You will appreciate having the heads up instead of being surprised down the road! 

Home Inspections Allow for Negotiations

After a home inspection is completed, you as the buyer will have the opportunity to request repairs from the homeowner, and they will agree or disagree with taking care of the proposed repairs. Keep in mind though that the seller is not obligated to fix anything. 

Without a home inspection, you wouldn’t have the opportunity to request repairs from a seller. You can request the repairs be made, the purchase price be reduced, or give you a cash credit at closing to fix the problems yourself. This is where a home inspection can pay for itself several times over.

In the event that none of these options are available (for example, if the property is bank-owned or is being sold as-is), you can get quotes to fix the issues yourself and create a repair plan in order of importance and affordability.

Final Thoughts

In light of these reasons, it is very important to conduct a home inspection before purchasing a home. While it may cost you a little bit of time and money, in the long run, you’ll be glad you did it. Remember no home inspector is perfect and could overlook issues during a home inspection, they will inspect the home in far greater detail than you and your real estate agent did during your initial visit. 

If you’re not sure how the home buying and inspection processes work, one of our Realtors here at 316 Realty Group would be delighted to share their expertise and knowledge with you and provide some recommended home inspectors in the area. Reach out to us today!