Closing on Your New Home: why you need a home inspection.
One of the most important things you can do during the process of buying a home is to get a home inspection. What is it, and why should you do it? Keep Reading!
Usually, if you’re already under contract on a home, you love the home’s general look and feel, which can include everything from the layout to the neighborhood. Everything that you can see and understand looks good, but what you need to investigate is what you can’t see or understand.
What is a Home Inspection?
A home inspection is essentially a deep dive into all of the nooks and crannies of a home that you don’t see on a general walkthrough.
Hiring a Professional Home Inspector:
Prices will vary depending on the area and city that you live in, but it is well worth every penny. I highly recommend working with the home inspector that your real estate agent trusts and likes because they usually work with this home inspector several times a year on various transactions.
What Does a Home Inspector “Inspect”?
A home inspector should look at all of the home’s systems. Although they are not a licensed plumber or electrician, they will be able to look at the home’s furnace, plumbing, and electrical systems and can generally tell you if there’s a problem and if you should ask a licensed professional for further information.
Crawl Spaces and the Attic: Why They’re Important
Home inspectors will also crawl into all of the spots in a house where you yourself would not normally go. If the home has a crawl space or an attic, an inspector will go in and take pictures to show you what’s there- whether it’s water, rodent activity, etc. These two spaces are very important areas for your home. A high functioning attic and crawl space allow your home to breathe, keep it cool, and keep it warm with insulation.
The Bottom Line:
A buyer is not usually allowed to crawl around these areas of a house by themselves, especially if they don’t have the home under contract. A professional home inspector will be able to investigate these areas of a house for you, provide you with a detailed report with pictures, and can answer any questions you may have. Then, when it comes time for you to close on your home, you will know everything there is to know about your home’s condition. If you discover the house has an issue, sometimes you can get the seller to fix it before closing!
