Those planning to acquire their own homes or sell their property can benefit from a home inspection. Buying a house is an expensive venture, and finding out that the place you purchased needs major repairs can be a costly mistake. Fortunately, home inspection services exist to prevent such things from happening.
However, you need to be careful with the service provider you choose to get accurate results—so you can get your money’s worth. Here are some tips that could help you ensure you get the best out of your payment.
1: Formalize the Inspection.
A home inspection is not mandatory. It is an optional service that homebuyers and sellers can take advantage of. One tip that could ensure you get a quality home inspection is to formalize the assessment.
Tell your seller that you want to conduct a home inspection before purchasing the property.
Make it a formal agreement if you can.
Determine an official inspection date so both parties could prepare accordingly.
Your agency can add a clause in your contract that states it is a requested or necessary action to be taken before the agreement is considered valid. Doing this could protect you from agreeing to purchase a property without a thorough inspection occurring first. When unforeseen circumstances happen, such as the homeowner not settling with your repair negotiations, you can freely withdraw from the agreement.
2: Make It a Mandatory Step.
It is easy to forego the inspection step, especially when you already feel at ease with your seller. However, no matter your relationship, treat the inspection as a mandatory step that needs to be completed before finalizing decisions. Remember that it would serve as your protection when unexpected discoveries around the house happen. It is always you who would benefit in the end, so do not delay or avoid it.
3: Look Beyond the Price.
Just because something is expensive does not mean it is better; conversely, something that cheaper is not necessarily low-quality. In home inspections, the cost does not always guarantee the quality of service. Not all expensive services can give you the kind of inspection you need.
Do not rely on the price alone. Ensure that you check the contractor’s past client’s review and online reputation before settling. If you want to ask for more information, feel free to ask questions and for proof of work. You can also inquire about their process to make sure you understand how they plan to go about their inspection. Use this to compare with other service providers to see where they differ.
4: Take Part in the Inspection.
Be present during the inspection process. It would be beneficial to see the condition of the house yourself. You can ask the inspector’s professional insight on your concerns about the house, and it could help you assess better whether the home is for you or not.
The results would appear in a report the inspector will provide. However, nothing beats getting the explanation right away and asking follow-up questions to understand the house’s situation.
Conclusion
There are always risks involved when making decisions, but when it comes to home inspection and purchasing a home, the four tips above could help you prevent from committing the mistakes that homeowners get upon buying an uninspected home. During the inspecting process, you can see whether the house is a good fit for your family and whether it would be a worthwhile investment.
If you need to conduct house inspections in Birmingham, AL, make sure to contact us at Let’s Do It Home Inspections. Our goal has always been to help home buyers check if the house they are eyeing truly is their dream house. Our company follows the guidelines set by the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), so you can be sure that we are thorough. Contact us to make an appointment.