Skip to main content

Getting Ready to Do Inspections on Your New House? Here’s What You Need to Know

Congratulations — you’ve finally found a house that you love, and your offer has been accepted. Now what? The next step in home buying is doing your inspections. While this process isn’t extraordinarily difficult, it does help if you go into it as informed as possible.

To prepare you, we’ve outlined the most important details of the process. Read them over and keep them in mind for your negotiations. With these tips, you’ll be able to advocate with your best interests in mind.

inspections

You have a choice in whether or not you want to do any inspections. Image: Klaybor & Associates, Inc.

Inspections are optional

Put simply, you don’t have to do any inspections if you don’t want to. Alternatively, you could choose to do some, but not others. It’s entirely up to you. Your comfort level should dictate which make the most sense for you to elect to perform.

Each decision has its own advantages and disadvantages. Typically, when people choose to waive inspections, they do so in order to put themselves in a stronger bargaining position with the sellers. When you agree to waive inspections, you’re essentially saying that you’ll agree to buy the home, regardless of any problems that it has. You’re also not going to ask for any fixes or money toward future repairs.

That said, going this route is scary for most buyers. After all, buying a home with problems unknown is a huge leap of faith. Most choose to take a happy medium, where they elect to do a property inspection, plus one or two supplemental ones for things like radon or wood-destroying insects.

certified

Any inspector you use must be certified. Image: Timberlake Custom Homes, LLC

Inspections are regulated

Once you’ve decided which inspections you’re going to perform on the home, your next step is figuring out which company you feel most comfortable working with. Know that these types of inspections can’t be completed by just any contractor. The job requires a certified inspector in order to be considered valid and applicable to the transaction.

The two societies responsible for certifying home inspectors are The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) and The Professional Association of Building Inspectors (PABI). No matter who you ultimately choose to inspect your home, make sure they are a member of at least one of these two organizations. If not, save your money and look elsewhere.

In addition to checking certifications, you should also do some additional research to make sure that you choose the right company for your needs. Go online and read reviews from other customers to learn about their experiences. Additionally, don’t be afraid to ask inspectors some questions of your own.

decision

Ultimately, inspections are there to help you make an informed decision. Image: David Small Designs

Inspections are for your benefit

Inspections often get a bad rap because they come at a cost, but, ultimately, they’re there for your benefit. They show you what, if anything, might be wrong with the home as it is right now. They also give you the opportunity to negotiate any fixes that must be made before you buy the home.

They’re also your “get out of jail free” card. Inspections are contingencies, which means that, in order for the transaction to continue to move forward, they need to happen on time and be resolved in a way that both the buyer and the seller agree upon. Otherwise, you’re free to walk away from the transaction with your deposit money still in hand.

Have you been through new home inspections recently? If so, what advice can you offer about the process?

The post Getting Ready to Do Inspections on Your New House? Here’s What You Need to Know appeared first on Freshome.com.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SKÅDIS: 5 ways to make the IKEA pegboard even better

IKEA introduced its own pegboard system, SKÅDIS, two years ago and I’d say it’s one of the best systems IKEA launched in recent years. I love how super customisable it is, with a growing range of accessories that help keep things organized. It works everywhere, in your wardrobe to bathroom . Probably anywhere you have a flat surface to hang it up. Photo: IKEA.com SKÅDIS pegboard system See it on IKEA.com But no matter how perfect a system, you can trust IKEA hackers to improve on the SKÅDIS. And they’ve settle these 5 issues you may have faced with the handy IKEA pegboard. Read on for their fixes. 5 IKEA SKÅDIS issues and fixes #1 Expensive hooks? You’ll need quite a number of hooks and accessories to fill up the SKÅDIS pegboard, and Kenyer was shocked at how quickly they all added up. So he figured he could make his own hooks to save cost. Photo: Kenyer Over at Instructables , he shows us how to twist copper wires into the SKÅDIS hook shape. It works s...
Post a Comment
Read more

KALLAX desk ideas: Three ways to set up a workstation

Three great ideas for a KALLAX desk . #1 Compact, minimalist desk for laptop I put together a KALLAX desk for my laptop for just under 25 euros. Just a KALLAX 2×2 is needed. No other materials required. IKEA item used: KALLAX 2 x 2 (77 x 77 cm) KALLAX 2×2 | IKEA.com All you need to do is assemble 3 of the pieces in a U shape. That is all.  If you want to strengthen the structure you would need to drill a couple of holes in order to use the long middle shelf of the KALLAX unit as a back reinforcer. Easy and it works. ~ by Fabio Tudela #2 KALLAX standing desk I choose to stand at work because it makes me feel infinitely more productive. Our department recently moved into a new building and we had the opportunity to design our own spaces. Items Used: VIKA AMON / TORNLIDEN table top x 2 (discontinued, replaced by LINNMON ) KALLAX 4 cube x 2 KALLAX drawer unit x 2 8 – 3″ locking casters / wheels 1 – 6′ zinc brace I had a few VIKA AMON tables ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Amped up KURA bed with drawers and safety rail

We saw other KURA beds with storage drawers underneath on this site. So, we also wanted the same — to make space for LEGO s and wooden trains under the bed. We installed the additional headboard panels because the configuration of the room and the location of the windows in the room meant that we wanted the children’s heads on the right and the ladder on the left. The KURA plans did not seem to allow this configuration, though I have seen online that there are models of this bed from 2003 that allowed more options for setup. Additional safety features Safety rail panel for the lower KURA bed helps our two year old feel secure, as he just transitioned from a crib directly to this bunk. Likewise metal handles on the ladder. They added a lot of confidence for both the five-year-old and the two-year-old when climbing up to the top bunk. We are aware that the bunk is now even higher than before and both children are under 6. Use caution and common sense before making these modifi...
Post a Comment
Read more