When you are shopping for a new home, it’s real easy to get caught up romanticizing over the esthetic features of a home – especially one you are seeing for the first time. You may start picturing yourself living there, figuring out where your furniture will fit, or you may be thinking about up-grades or renovations you would want to make. However, you may really want to wait before investing too deep emotionally, as you never know what’s lying beneath the surface of any given home.
Your home inspection is easily one of the most important – if not the most important step in your home buying process. It is the single most important step that is designed to protect your best interest as a buyer. THE TRUTH IS – While most sellers aren’t out there trying to intentionally rip you off, there is no shortage of people trying to look out for their own best interest when selling their home, and as a result, often failing to divulge important issues the house might have. Not to mention the sellers who develop full blown amnesia when it comes to “Disclosure.”
A professional certified home inspector is the single most non biased entity involved in real estate transactions. A professional certified inspector scrutinizes every detail of the house, paying special attention to the homes major systems, potential costly repairs & replacements, safety red flags and likely maintenance needs, both short term and long term . While there is a small cost for hiring a professional home inspector, we can easily assure you, it’s well worth the price…….and much, much more.
1. Know What You’re Getting Into
First, unless you’ve spent significant time as a realtor or home inspector, you don’t have the eye or the training to depict issues, big or small, with a home. As mentioned above, it’s easy for home sellers to cover small issues and try to make big ones seem less severe.
The home inspection process in Wake County will help you know what you’re getting into, should you decide to buy the house. This includes potential necessary repairs down the road, outdated electrical, and HVAC unit on its last leg, etc. Ultimately, it will help you weigh the pros and cons of investing in the home.
2. Uncover Potential Safety Hazards
When you move into a new home, you should feel safe, regardless of how much you paid or how old or new it is. This is especially important for families with children. One of the most important functions of the home inspection process is uncovering potential safety issues a home might possess.
For example, if you’re looking at an older home, you may be surprised to find that the electrical isn’t grounded, which can lead to electrical fires, constantly tripped breakers and more. Alternatively, an inspector may find hidden mold, which can be a potential health hazard. Finally, you may even find that the home has exposed lead paint, asbestos, or radon gas, which is in violation of several health and safety codes.
3. Repairs and Renovations
While most of us assume ourselves to be relatively observant, there are a lot of aspects of the home inspection process in Wake County that are far beyond our paygrade. For example, few of us are qualified to determine what kind of condition a roof is in.
Additionally, home inspectors will be able to uncover structural problems with the home. These can be anything from damaged structural supports, a sagging roof, cracks in the foundation, cracks in the ceiling, or cracks in the walls. Most importantly they will be able to tell you what items are of great concern and which are merely issues you can use as bargaining chips in the negotiation process.
Their report is especially important for your lender, as your loan or lender may inhibit you from buying a home with certain issues. In this case, the seller would either have to fix the issues first, or you would have to walk away.
4. Save Yourself Money Down the Road
While there is a fee for a home inspection, investing in could save you thousands of dollars or more down the road (and countless headaches). An inspector has a keen eye for longevity. He or she will be able to give you an accurate estimate of the remaining lifespan of a roof, major appliances, and so on.
They will point out potential issues that aren’t currently a concern but could be in the near future. This could be an outdated HVAC unit, a roof with limited years left on it, or a threatening crack in the foundation that could be indicative of bigger problems. Knowing about these issues before they worsen could save you substantial money down the road, even if you’re the one who ends up making repairs after you’ve purchased the house.
5. Appease Your Lender
Some lenders tend to be pickier than others. For that matter, some loans have greater restrictions and requirements than others. For example, VA loans are particularly choosy about what they will and will not finance and an official home inspection is required before they will approve any home.
Regardless of the difficulty of the home loan, here are some red flags that may void your loan if in the home inspection process:
- Pest infestation
- Chipped or peeling paint
- Lead paint
- Asbestos
- A cracked and/or shifting foundation
- A damaged roof
- Mold
- Water damage
- Septic Tank Failure
6. Leverage for Negotiations
The home inspection process in Wake County can also help you in terms of saving money on the home you’re interested in. It provides you with irrefutable leverage which can serve two purposes in negotiations.
First, you can negotiate that the seller must repair or renovate any issues with the home that may either prevent you from buying it (due to your lender) or dissuade you from buying it (for your own reasons). Secondly, should they choose not to fix any or all of the issues, you would be in an ideal place to negotiate the price down. Why should you have to pay top dollar for a home that requires a ton of work upon moving in?
7. An Easy Out for Second Thoughts
When you put an offer in on a home, you’re often required to put down several hundred dollars or more in earnest money. This is a reasonable transaction that tells the seller you’re serious and won’t back out for no reason. If you do, they keep your money.
However, if the home inspection process yielded any significant issues, it would provide you a free and clear reason to back out of the offer with your earnest money returned. While most people aren’t dissuaded by small issues, a pest infestation may be all you need to drop everything and go the other way.
8. Peace of Mind
Finally, because of all the reasons listed above, the home inspection process gives buyers something invaluable – peace of mind. You know the home you’re investing in has been professionally inspected and cleared. You don’t have to worry about any major issues or financial setbacks for repairs.
You and your family will be free to move into the home knowing you’re safe and secure.
Looking to Start the Home Inspection Process?
If you’re looking into buying a new home now or in the future, contact us with any questions about the home inspection process in Wake County or schedule your home inspection today! We have over 6,000 home inspections and 21 years of experience under our belts. But most importantly, we just want to help you get the home of your dreams!
