ho Needs a Home air conditioning), equipment,
Inspection Anyway? structure and finishes.
Buying a home is one of the most After the inspection is complete,
important purchases you will make you will receive a written report
in your lifetime, so you should of the findings from the home
be sure that the home (house, inspector, usually within 24
condo, townhouse) you want to buy hours.
is in good condition. A home
inspection is an evaluation of a Finding a Qualified Independent
home’s condition by a trained Home Inspector
expert. During an independent
home inspection, a qualified As the homebuyer, it is your
inspector takes an in-depth and responsibility to carefully
impartial look at the property select a qualified inspector. I
you plan to buy. stress that it is “your”
responsibility, and not your
The home inspector will: agent's. After you purchase your
new home, your agent will not be
* Evaluate the physical responsible for paying the
condition: the structure, unexpected repair costs that
construction and mechanical result from non-thorough home
systems. inspections. Any unexpected
repair costs will be your
* Identify items that should be responsibility.
repaired or replaced.
Understanding the Home Inspector
* Estimate the remaining useful / Realtor Relationship
life of the major systems (such
as electrical, plumbing, heating, For your protection, hire an
independent home inspector, s/he finds the home's condition
instead of a home inspector who acceptable (Among other reasons)
is recommended by your real
estate agent. Here's why: (c) So, a negative home
inspection can stop a home sale
Most home inspectors solicit real (and the Agent's commission)
estate agents for work, hoping
that the real estate agent will Now, this is not an accusation of
exclusively recommend his home any Agents or Home Inspectors.
inspection services to all the However, in this relationship,
real estate agent's clients. the Home Inspector may feel
Agents work with many home-buyers stated or unstated pressure from
throughout the year, and each the Agent. There may be pressure
home-buyer will eventually need a to deliver positive home
home inspection in order to close inspection reports or the agent
the sale. So, it originally made may pressure the home inspector
sense for an agent to find one or to produce inspection reports in
two home inspectors that he/she less time at the expense of
could regularly recommend to performing a more thorough
clients. However, this Agent / inspection. After all, the Agent
Home Inspector relationship could easily replace the Home
carries a conflict of interest. Inspector with another who may
write more lenient reports. To be
Here's why: honest, there are many other Home
Inspectors who would line up to
(a) Real Estate Agents make get a steady flow of new clients
commission when their client buys from the Agent.
the home.
The Bottom Line: Spending
(b) A client will only buy if Hundreds May Save Thousands
When you make a written offer on google_alternate_ad_url =
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About the Author:
Richard Zwierzynski is an independent home inspector - http://www.realestateinspectorsgroup.com offering professional home inspection services in the Chicagoland area. Home buyers can find more resources applicable to any real estate market at his website - http://www.realestateinspectorsgroup.com
