When To Order A Home Inspection
Sellers and insurance companies may order home inspections, and investors and realtors often do the same. But prospective home buyers are often expected to pay for the inspection. Buyers also have a legal right to inspect a home before they actually go through with the purchase – whether that means a professional inspection, a DIY inspection, or having a friend do it for them.
Normally, you have to put down an earnest and sign a home-buying contract before you can proceed to inspect the home. You will be given a specific time limit within which you can have access to inspect the home or have someone else do so for you.
Thus, you may only get one chance to have a listed home thoroughly inspected and evaluated – between signing the contract and being permanently locked into it. You don’t want to make the mistake of missing your opportunity nor of needlessly waiving your right to a home inspection as a buyer.
Why Use A Professional Home Inspector?
There are a number of good reasons why you virtually must rely on a professional inspector.
First of all, they possess specialized tools, intense training, and long-honed expertise that an ordinary homebuyer simply can’t duplicate. Accurately assessing and properly documenting a building’s structural integrity, the condition of the roofing, the plumbing and wiring, home condition room by room, and more is not a job for novices – especially under the pressure of time limits measured in hours.
Second, it normally only costs several hundred dollars. Cost varies based on the house and other factors but is a very small portion of your overall home buying expenses. It’s well worth it!
Top Benefits Of Home Inspections
There are many important benefits to having an inspection done on the real estate you are interested in before it’s too late to change your mind. Most contracts include a clause that states you get your earnest money back and get out of the contract for free if you back out due to negative results of a home inspection. And around one contract in seven, in fact, ends just that way.
Safety concerns, awareness of the home’s true condition and of future maintenance needs, and securing good home insurance and mortgage loans are also possible reasons for getting an inspection done.
But one benefit not to be overlooked is that it may give you “bargaining leverage.” For example, if there is a roof leak, a foundation problem, a lack of insulation, or another problem, you could ask for it to be fixed first at the homeowner’s expense before finalizing the purchase. Or, you could negotiate a reduction in selling price and then fix it yourself later.
To learn more about how home inspections work in Florida and when to get one – or for a free, no-obligation quote and a free initial consultation, contact Super Inspection Pros in Central Florida today!
