A home inspection is a critical part of buying a home. Here’s how the process works and why you need to hire a good inspector to get the job done.
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Why is a home inspection so important if you’re a homebuyer?
Think of it this way: You’d never buy a car without having a third party look under its hood, and the same logic applies to buying a house. You want a licensed, third-party inspector to give the home you’re thinking of buying a full inspection, all the way from the roof down to the appliances. In any home purchase, there will be deferred maintenance and/or certain items that are out of code, and you’ll want to know about all of it.
That’s the first reason you need to hire a good home inspector to do your home’s inspection. The second reason is you want that person to be experienced and willing to pick up the phone when you call them. You don’t want to rely on your agent to go through a home inspection report with you—you want to be able to call your inspector and have them walk you through the entire report to help you identify the big-ticket items like your roof, the A/C unit, the plumbing system, etc.
You’d never buy a car without having a third party look under its hood, and the same logic applies to buying a house.
Think of the inspection process like you’re going to see a general doctor. If there’s a major issue, they’ll typically refer you to a specialist. It works the same way with inspectors. If they notice an issue with your home, they’ll refer you to a specialist—like a licensed plumber or roofer—to help you.
Once you have this conversation with your inspector and they refer you to third-party contractors to give you an estimate for which repairs need to be made, it’s up to your agent to either negotiate a lump sum of money in lieu of repairs or negotiate a price reduction for you. In the state of Texas, you’re given an option period where it’s your agent’s job to utilize this second negotiation phase.
If you have any other questions about home inspections or you have any other real estate needs, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.
