Is This House Physically Fit?

Is the beauty of your new house only skin deep?

An inspection by a qualified person can answer the question before it is too late!

The expression “Beauty is only skin deep,” is especially true of houses.  A fresh coat of paint or new carpeting may disguise serious flaws that can turn your dream into a nightmare on Elm Street. One way to find out about possible defects is by having a house inspection.  This does not mean having your “handy” uncle over to tour your house with a tape measure and screwdriver. It does mean hiring a professional inspector to survey all parts of the house, including the structure, roof, exterior, the major systems (electrical, heating, cooling, and ventilation), and appliances that will stay. The inspector may spot existing as well as potential problems, and will suggest remedies. You can build an inspection contingency into the offer to purchase. (Several states now mandate disclosure of defects.) Ideally this should be a blanket clause that requires the seller to make legitimate repairs, or if the seller is unwilling to do this, would allow you to cancel the contract.

If the inspection does turn up some flaws, a seller often is willing to make necessary repairs or adjust the price. Or he or she may refuse. It all depends upon how much effort, or cash, both parties are willing to spend. If this is the home that you have been waiting for, try using a little tact with the seller. On the other hand, some sellers may institute their own inspections, which can be an incentive to a buyer. After all, it saves you time and money, and says something about the assurances the seller is willing to make.

Even so, there are advantages to conducting your own inspection. You’ll have the opportunity to tour the house with the inspector who can point out possible trouble or tell you how to avoid it. And though the seller’s inspection may certify the house trouble-free with only minor flaws, those flaws may be important to you. Though an inspection takes only a couple of hours and may cost a few hundred dollars, it is important to make sure the inspector is qualified. Your real estate agent may be able to recommend some, but you should ask for references from other homeowners, too. When hiring an inspector, determine ahead of time what it is that the inspector is going to do. Often, they only look for significant problems. Few, if any, for example, will check every electrical outlet to see if it works.  Besides the basic home inspection, you may conduct an adjunct inspection for pests, such as termites or rodents and the like, and one for environmental concerns. This inspection checks for possible contaminants such as radon, lead paint, or asbestos.

Finally, make sure that a comprehensive inspection report is in writing. Although you will wisely take lots of notes while you tour the house with the inspector, the official report will serve as the contingent document in any deviation from your contract.

Don’t think of the inspection report as a weapon to be used against the seller. If flaws are trivial, consider fixing them yourself in order to move forward with the sale. If there are major problems, use the report as an aid that will allow the seller to remedy the situation, or void the contract.