Why do you Want and Need a Home/condo or Condo Inspection
The home/condo-buying process is long and arduous. You often spend
months searching for the right home/condo before you make an offer and once an
offer is made and accepted, you must take care of many other items before the
sale closes. An important part of the process is the home/condo inspection
where a professional makes sure everything in the home/condo is functioning
properly and identifies needed repairs.
In most cases the buyer pays the cost of a home/condo inspection but can always wave the right to an inspection. That’s not a good idea. You should make a home/condo inspection a mandatory part of the home/condo-buying process. “You need unbiased documentation of the home/condo’s condition,”
Unseen and Unpredicted Problems
You can fall in love with a home/condo for various reasons. You might love the size of the home/condo, the open floor plan, the home/condo’s exterior or the layout of the kitchen. While the home/condo may look to be in excellent shape, the home/condo’s aesthetics can hide real problems.
The inspector can discover real and expensive problems that are not always apparent when you view the home/condo with a real estate agent.
More Options
When you and the seller reach an agreement on the home/condo, you are under some legal obligation to finalize the sale. A home/condo inspection gives you ways to get out of the deal. Once the home/condo inspector completes a report, you can renegotiate with the seller. You might want to have certain items repaired, or you could seek to have the cost of the home/condo reduced. If an agreement is not reached on the items in the report, you can back out of the deal.
“You are also learning very practical information about the home/condo like where the main water shutoff valve is located, where the electrical panels are located and where the main fuel shutoff is.”
Cost Efficient
Cost is not an inhibiting factor for a home/condo inspection. An inspection on a condominium can be as little as $350 while the cost of a single-family home/condo inspection ranges from $400 to $750, depending on the size of the home/condo. (1) is there a pool? (2) is there a Hot Tub? (3) is there a Casita? In the end, the money is worth the investment. A quality home/condo inspection can keep you from having to pay tens of thousands of dollars in repairs costs that you were unaware of.
Structural Problems
The home/condo inspector will look at the foundation and other structural elements of the house. If the house is not structurally sound, the inspection report will identify the problems. Structural problems are major red flags when buying a home/condo. You don’t want to get stuck with a home/condo that is not well built.
Leaks
A new roof can cost as much as $500.00 to repair and up to $10,000 to replace and is one of the more expensive maintenance costs of owning a home. The inspector will look at the roof and identify the roof’s age in order to decide whether it is in proper working order. The report will point out any problems with the roof.
Safety
An important part of the home/condo inspection is to make sure the home/condo is safe. The inspector will look at the electrical system and make sure it is in proper working order. You don’t want to live in a home/condo with an unsafe electrical system. Also the inspector will check to see if the Anti-Tilt is installed. If the Anti-Tilt is missing, the Oven could tip over on a child that is standing on the oven door or if someone should fall on the door, that could cause the stove/over to tip over on them. As in the picture with the child.
Maintenance Costs
A home/condo requires ongoing maintenance. Things wear out and break. When putting together a budget for buying a home/condo, you need to include maintenance costs. The amount of money that you budget will depend on the home/condo’s condition. A newer home/condo is less likely to need maintenance than an older home/condo.
Negotiation Leverage
You have a huge amount of leverage with an inspection report. You can ask the seller to fix the problems in the report, renegotiate the asking price or ask the seller to contribute more to the closing costs. You are in the driver’s seat if the inspection report shows major problems with the house/condo.
Peace of Mind
An inspection report guarantees that you understand the condition of the home/condo when the sale finalizes which can ultimately bring you peace of mind. All in all, you don’t want any major surprises shortly after moving into your new home/condo.
“Peace of mind can’t be overrated,” some buyers say. “You have actual physical documentation that informs you of the condition of the home/condo. This is true even on new construction. For example, the air ducts could not be placed correctly.”
Additional Safety Items
A home/condo inspection can detect safety issues like missing or non-working smoke carbon monoxide detectors and mold, which all home/condos should be tested for.
Termites
Are you able to see wood infestation (Termites). The inspector knows what to look for regarding termites and where to look as sometimes there is a certain area that they will be in. There are 2 types of termites in Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point) area.
1. Flying termites that travel mostly with wind or during storms. These are the ones that bore large holes and leave brownish-black droppings all over the ground.
2. Subterranean termites, these are the ones that come out of the ground and leave the brown tubes hanging from the ceilings and on the walls.
A good inspector will check:
1. Electrical
2. Structural
3. Plumbing
4. Exterior
5. Interior
6. Patio’s
7. Roofs
8. Air Conditioning (s)
9. Heating
10. Garages (s)
11. Fireplaces
12. GFCI
13. Kitchen Appliances
There are several software programs that are used for home inspection. If your inspector does use a quality software program, then you may not be getting the inspection you deserve.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, having a home inspection is highly recommended when buying a home, for the many reasons listed above. While a home inspector is not perfect and can miss issues during a home inspection, they are going to inspect the home in much more detail than you and your real estate agent did during your initial visit.