Home-buying is a lengthy and challenging process. It might take you several months to search for a house that fits your interest and lifestyle. But, you must first accomplish several tasks before you close a deal with the seller.
A home inspection is an essential part of the home-buying process. It is done to make sure the house you’re buying is functioning well. Additionally, parts and areas of the house will also be identified, repaired, and double-checked to make sure everything is ready for you.
As a home buyer, you’ll be paying for the cost of the home inspection, but you have a choice to get the house inspected or not. Following this, it’s a bad idea not to get the house checked, here are five reasons why inspections are essential when buying a home for the first time.
To Find Underlying Problems
It’s normal for first time home buyers to fall in love with a house for several reasons. The size of the home, the layout of the kitchen, the open floor plan, and the exterior design are just a few reasons.
You shouldn’t be deceived by the excellent shape of the house, because the beauty of the factors can hide the problems underneath them. You can check your home with a family member along with your agent. However, if you need a more thorough approach, you can find an inspector to check the innermost parts of the house, from the attic and crawl space to the inside walls.
You have every right to hire an inspector to inspect the house before you close the deal with the seller. You have to keep in mind that a great home is more than just a good paint job, decorations, or smart automation. It’s what’s inside the walls of the house that matters and not what’s attached to it.
For Cost Efficiency in the Long Run
Not having a budget isn’t a good reason for you to not get a home inspection service. You might think it’s quite pricey to pay for a home inspection service while buying a house at the same time. Keep in mind that a home inspection is also a way out to deal with the realtor.
You can negotiate with the seller after the inspector completes the report of the house. Although there’s a chance that you might get some parts of the house repaired, you can still negotiate with the seller and reduce the cost of the house.
If an agreement with the seller doesn’t meet what’s required in the report, you’re free to back out of the deal. Also, you’ll be able to learn essential practical information about houses if ever you weren’t satisfied with the current home you’re checking.
Another factor you should consider when getting a quality home inspection is your money. The amount of money you’re spending on an inspection is worth the investment. Having the house inspected with quality will save you from having to pay ten times as much for repairs.
Keep in mind that you’ll profit more in the long run if you have a home inspection service now. Prolonging the home inspection will cause the materials of the house to deteriorate because it wasn’t checked. You’ll have to spend more on repairs if you ignore having a home inspection before buying a house.
To better know the Location of the Property
Most of the time, the location or community where a house is situated can be a significant factor for its pricing. Do note that doing an overall security and maintenance check of a home also involves the surrounding area. A property’s location can influence the way a person lives. This influence is the reason why you should always take into consideration the neighborhood before buying a house.
You should also take note of nearby facilities around your house. Usually, a property that’s nearby hospitals, schools, police stations are pricey but are well worth it. Properties near these areas are also safer, especially for buyers who have small children in their household.
To Find out Presence of Gas Leaks
Making sure your home is safe is another reason for the need of home inspection. Your home is one of the safest places you can be in, and making sure everything is in good working order guarantees your safety.
Home inspectors will also check your electrical system and check if there are any loose or damaged wiring. You don’t want to be buying and living in a house that’s unsafe just because of a few faults with the electrical system.
Another factor that the home inspector will check for is the levels of radon gas inside and outside the house. The inspector will report the levels of radon gas inside the house and will determine whether or not it is safe. Radon gas is odorless, colorless, and tasteless, which can cause irreversible damage to the lungs.
To Make Sure Security System is in check with the Authorities
Most homes nowadays come with security systems. Having a safety and security inspection of a property up for sale, can tell you if that system is working or not. Every community relies on the security provided by their local police force.
Having a reliable and working security system is a must if you want to add another layer of security for your home. Making sure that these systems work is beneficial for those who plan to take long vacations.
Expert burglars are especially keen on identifying homes with weak or broken down security systems. With a fully working surveillance system, authorities can immediately come to a house and secure it from possible criminals, even if its owners are thousands of miles away on vacation.
For Firefighting Precautions
Additionally, a security system isn’t limited to contacting the police. Most security systems, such as the Protect America home security, have fire and smoke detectors in their packages. When a fire triggers these alarms, a call or alert is immediately given to the local fire department.
A thorough inspection of these systems will make sure that contacting the fire department will have no problems whatsoever. Aside from making sure that these systems work, homeowners can also identify potential fire hazards to make sure that no fires ever happen.
To reduce the gap in contacting Medical Services
A security and maintenance inspection can also enable buyers to know if the security system works in accordance with medical services. A security system that can immediately call for medical help is particularly advantageous for buyers who have elderly relatives living with them.
Most deaths occur due to the delay created in calling for medical services. Having a reliable and working security system eliminates that delay, which, in turn, improves the survival rate of an injured person within the property.
Although these systems might be intrusive in some way, the homeowner has an ultimate say as to where cameras are placed and what areas of the house should be monitored. These systems can also be tied in with a surveillance team that can monitor specific areas inside a home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
To Know the Condition of the Roof
The roof of the house is one of the more expensive things to maintain and repair when you own a home. Having an inspector to check the roof to identify its age will decide whether or not the roof is in good shape. The report given by the inspector will also determine whether repairs should be taken into action or not.
To Factor Maintenance Costs
All houses need ongoing maintenance. You have to control the materials and parts since it’s inevitable that they’ll wear and break down. You have to prioritize maintenance costs in your budget when buying a house.
However, you can’t merely set a given amount of budget since it will depend on the condition of the house. But, you shouldn’t set a budget based on the state of the property. You should set a flexible amount for repair costs based on the scale of the damages.
You’ll be lucky if the house you’re buying is quite fresh and new because you’re won’t need to spend a lot on maintenance costs. However, most inspection reports will include a charge of deferred maintenance. Deferred maintenance is a calculation of the maintenance costs you’ll need to pay in the future if ever the inspected parts break down.
To make sure that the Amenities are Working as Advertised
When a listing shows that a house or property has several amenities that come with it, chances are its prices are often high. If you’re considering getting a property with amenities such as swimming pools, garages, or other additional features, make sure you also include them in your maintenance and security inspections.
Make sure that everything is working. For example, a swimming pool might look good at first glance, but further inspection can reveal problems such as leaks, broken tiles, or other hazards that might be costly to fix. Also, make sure that you incorporate the property security measures near pools or other amenities.
Most of the time, houses with these features are prime targets for burglars and even juvenile delinquents. Believe it or not, there are real-life cases where teens break into homes with the sole purpose of having a party inside. Make sure to install security cameras or other deterrents that can help discourage potential lawbreakers from intruding on your property.
To know if you can add more
Aside from giving you an overall look at a property, a security and maintenance check will let you know if you can add more features to a property without spending much. For example, can your lot area accommodate a swimming pool? How about a basement?
A homeowner should always consider these factors even before buying a property because of future uses. Adding such features would also make the property attractive and enable it to fetch higher prices in the market, should the new homeowner decide to sell it in the future.
To Get a Fair Price
A security and maintenance check will enable home buyers to get to know the property on a more intrinsic and magnified level. Doing these kinds of checks also allows the buyer to gauge whether or not they’re getting a fair price for the property.
As mentioned earlier, a property listing may include amenities or other extra features that can look attractive at first glance. Don’t make the mistake of falling for these typical schemes. A maintenance check allows you to negotiate a fair price with what you’re getting. Who would want to pay extra for a leaking swimming pool or a broken security system that would cost even more in repairs?
For Peace of Mind
One of the most unwanted feelings a homeowner experiences is when everything goes wrong with their newly bought home. The roof is leaking, the doors are creaking, the windows are broken, the security cameras aren’t working, etc. When all these things happen, you’ll be sure to have a lot of problems.
Aside from the potential harm that these problems can cause, the thought of worrying about these things happening is also stressful. What’s more, the idea of having to spend a lot of money on something you’re not sure you’ll be able to fix can be worse. Avoid the hassle and do a thorough security and maintenance check to your home.
If you decide not to do any checks, ask yourself this: Are you willing to gamble with your family’s safety and well-being? Doing these checks can help you identify problems so you’ll have peace of mind once you fix everything that needs fixing or improving.
Takeaway
Peace of mind is essential when buying a house for the first time. Having the home that takes your interest should be inspected for security and maintenance before you close the deal with the seller.
These leaks, hidden and unpredicted problems, and costs of maintenance are just a few of the reasons why you’ll need a home inspection service. Remember, you’re buying your first house, and the last thing you want is to spend a lot of money repairing it.
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