Home Inspectors: Friends or Foes?

Believe it or not, a lot of people seem to cringe a little bit when you start talking about hiring a home inspector. We get it. It does feel a little bit like a test that you don’t want to fail, but if you think about it, it’s really more like a way to prevent yourself from failing a test.

Buyers

If you’re thinking of buying a particular home, you’re probably aware that you should get a qualified home inspector to examine it. In fact, most offers will include a condition that the property be inspected before the sale becomes final.

A good home inspector will go over the property from top to bottom, inside and out. He or she will look for things like cracks in the foundation, out-dated wiring, repairs that need to be done, and aging components (such as the roof or the furnace). The inspector will also provide a timeline for the replacement of any of the major components including HVAC, windows, roof, etc.

Basically, a home inspector helps you understand the condition of the home and the related expenses you should expect.

Sellers

It’s pretty obvious now that home inspectors are a buyer’s best friend. But what about sellers? Truth is, hiring a home inspector can also be very beneficial if you are the seller. Getting your current home inspected before you list it for sale can help sell your property faster and for the best price.

Here’s why:

Let’s say you put your home on the market and get an offer. That offer is conditional on a home inspection. What if the inspector uncovers a major issue, like a leak or a problem with the wiring, that you weren’t aware of? These kinds of problems influence buyers to potentially walk away from the deal.

If, however, you got your home inspected first, you would know about those issues in advance and could deal with them accordingly – BEFORE there’s a deal on the table.

The Verdict

So what do we conclude? Home inspectors are DEFINITELY your friends!

Give us a call today if you’re looking for a great home inspector (or realtor!) you can trust.