Home Inspections for Sellers and Buyers:
Whether you are a buyer or a seller, a home inspection is something you should really consider. Buyers 99.9% of the time get an inspection when purchasing a home. More details about this are below. However, if you are a seller I also recomend you obtain a pre-sell inspection of your home so that you can fix any issues ahead of time which could affect the value of your property. Wouldn't it be nice to know known issues and the cost to repair ahead of negotiations instead of after you have already negotiated the selling price of your home with a buyer? Just imagine we if we negotiate a fair price for your home then the buyer gets their inspection done and several costly issues appear. The buyer may then ask you (the seller) to fix the repairs at the sellers expense or credit the buyer for the repair cost (which are generally higher than what the actual repair would cost if the seller had done the repairs ahead of time) or the buyer may choose to walk away from the purchase. During this entire process it can be very taxxing on the sellers. You could loose sleep, it causes stress and ultimately you could loose money and or the sale of your home.
General home inspections for sellers and buyers can range anywhere from $250 and up depending on the size of the home. It's a small price to pay for a big piece of mind.
Buyers Home Inspection:
A home inspection is meant to detail problems with a house and if they’re serious enough to prevent a sale. The three main points of an inspection are physical condition, items in need of repair or replacement, and remaining useful life of major systems.
It’s a good idea to be present during the inspection: you can ask questions and the inspector can point out areas of potential trouble and offer maintenance tips.
Expect an inspection to take 2-5 hours (old homes may take longer) and to cost $200-$500, depending on size.
To hire an inspector, get recommendations from others or check the phone book under “Home Inspection.” Be sure to ask about references, memberships in professional associations, training, and experience.
For more information on buying or selling your home please contact Joseph Crawford, Realtor at 561-676-2680.