Perform a House Inspection
Don't buy until a house inspection is completed. Undertaking a house inspection can save you a bundle of money. Like all investments, buying a home can be risky. That risk can be reduced if not completely eliminated by taking the time to perform a thorough home inspection of the structure and utility systems in the same way you would check out a company’s financial situation, product line and markets before investing. If you do not either perform your own home inspection or hire a professional to do it for you, you can incur a great deal of costly repairs.
By inspecting the house before purchase you will know in advance what you are buying into. You may be perfectly happy with performing some level of repairs to the house at your own expense but you should know exactly the complete condition of the house. To perform a through home inspection yourself you should have a check list that includes at least the areas listed below.
Steps
- Check the heating system equipment. Look particularly at boiler systems.
- Check the water system. This is especially important if there is a well.
- Check the septic system. You should know how old the system is, the last time it was pumped, any signs of surface leakage, etc.
- Inspect the wiring. This includes looking at the circuit breaker panel.
- Inspect the roof and floor structure. Check for borer damage and any other insect contamination, as well as for dampness and rotting. Check also the condition of roofing material, including paintwork and guttering.
- Check the deck and porches. Test for structural integrity, rot, borer damage, etc. Also check that planning permissions have been obtained for these.
- Look at the driveway condition. Has it been maintained or allowed to deteriorate? Are pavers, etc., in sound condition? Are underground pipes leaking?
- Check the steps and porches. Check for salt damage, crumbling structures, concrete cancer.
- Look at the sill condition. Is there dry rot or termite infestation?
- Check the condition of the kitchen, bathroom cabinets, and counter tops. Look for chipping, lost knobs, stuck doors (check shower sliding door), missing doors or drawers, space issues inside cabinets (for example, if hot water systems and dishwashers take up space, you might not be so happy with the area).
- Check windows and doors. Look at their general condition and check for dry rot.
- If defects are found, you do not necessarily have to reject the house.
- A purchase offer can include a contingency clause that identifies what needs to be corrected before the sale is finalized.
- Another option is to offer a lower purchase price based on the cost of correcting the problems. Before you offer a lower price to make the repairs yourself get estimates for all repairs needed and make an offer less the repair cost.
- Consider when to have the inspection done. It is common to have a home inspection before making an offer and a purchase contract is signed, however, the home inspection can be completed after an offer is made with it contingent on the home inspection. Some mortgage companies require a mechanical and structural inspection by a qualified licensed house inspector. Even if a lending institution does not require such an inspection, you should have one anyway.
- Always reserve the right to cancel the offer or renegotiate the purchase agreement if the home inspection reveals significant defects.
- If you decide to hire a professional inspector, be there when the inspection is done. Follow him or her around and ask questions. It is important to know what is being checked, why, and the condition of each area. Hire a professional house inspector if you are not confident that you can perform your own detailed home inspection. House inspectors are trained to look for the details that a home buyer may overlook.
Tips
- I have found over the years that it is sometimes wise to try to negotiate a cash settlement for major repairs or appliance replacement, versus leaving it up to the seller. The seller has a vested interest in spending as little as possible with little worry about the quality of the work being done.
