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New Home Inspectors
If you are buying a new home, you should know that it is only a
time before you discover that there is something wrong with it.
Before you get hysterical, this does not mean your walls will
fall down or your roof is going to cave in. This just means
that most any new home will have some kind of flaw. Think about
it. Homes are made by people and people make mistakes.
Sometimes materials that were used in the new home were flawed
or less than perfect. It isn’t just newly constructed homes
that have a few flaws, either. If you purchase an older home it
will probably have a few problems, too.
One way to discover these flaws before you purchase a home is
to hire a home inspector. These professionals will come out to
inspect a new home -- or older home that you are thinking of
purchasing. They know what to look for and will inspect your
home from the top to the bottom. If you are in the middle of
the buying process you should have it drawn up in your offer
that you will only purchase the home after it has been
inspected and if you approve of the findings. This will give
you an exit in case the home inspector comes up with a major
problem that you do not want to tackle in the new home.
If the home inspector brings you a large list of problems with
a new home you will have to decide what to do. Can you repair
these issues yourself? Do you want them fixed before you agree
to purchase the home? You should calculate the costs of the
repairs to see what they will cost. Remember, once you purchase
a home the problems will become your problems. You can ask that
the house be reduced to accommodate you having to repair the
problems. However, it will be up to the seller if he wants to
do this.
If a major problem is discovered you should be very careful in
your decision making. For instance, foundation problems not as
easily fixed as other kinds of problems. Fixing a foundation
problem can cost a lot of money. Many home buyers will pass on
a home if it’s discovered there is a foundation problem.
No one wants to purchase a new home only to discover problems,
later. Even little problems will add up. Having the carpet and
tile replaced may seem like a small hassle, but when you add in
things like replacing cabinets, painting a ceiling from a
repaired water leak or replacing gutters it will be very
troubling to you. Your new home can easily turn from being a
haven to a headache!
People who do not hire a home inspector to come in to look for
those small things generally end up regretting it. Spending a
few hundred dollars on a home inspector is small potatoes when
compared to thousands of dollars worth of repairs that may
arise later.
If you find that the home inspector’s report is too full of
problems simply back out of the home. (That is why you have it
in writing that if you will only purchase the home if you
approve of the findings.) While it will probably be a little
disheartening to discover that your dream home was really a
money pit in disguise, you should really count your blessings
that you discovered the problems.
If the home inspector’s report was favorable for your new home,
you can relax knowing that a professional has checked out the
home and found nothing substantial. This will help to calm your
fears about purchasing a new home and take some of the mystery
out of it.
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