The Most Critical Decision when Purchasing a Home May be Hiring an Inspector

By Steve Scheckner

When you buy a previously owned car everyone knows that it is smart to have it checked out by a good mechanic. It would be horrible to drive home with a car that turns into a money pit. The same applies to buying a home. It may look great when the real estate agent shows it to you, but under the fresh paint and new carpet there may be some big problems.

I've experienced first hand as a Carlsbad real estate agent that a home inspection and a great home inspector is critical in doing your due diligence in purchasing a home. This may be one of the most important steps of the home buying process so make sure you have a well qualified experienced inspector working for you, and looking out for you best interest.

Some factors to consider when hiring an inspector would first of all to make sure that your inspector works full time at their trade. It wouldn't work to your advantage if the biggest investment of your life was being evaluated during their second job. A full time inspector should be making 250+ inspections annually.

Some of the most qualified inspectors are the ones that have had a previous career in an associated field like building, architecture, electric and plumbing. In addition to having a diverse background they will need to keep up with the current trends in their industry by attending courses on a regular basis. The home inspection business in ever changing and requires the great inspector to keep up with the times.

When shopping around for a physical inspector, it is always best to try and get a referral. Talk to friends and real estate agents to find out who has the best track record. Make sure that your inspector is familiar with the area your prospective home is located. Here is Southern California you may have an inspector that knows problems associated with subdivisions in LA, but has no experience with Carlsbad real estate. Another factor to consider is to make sure your inspector is open with you and able to effectively explain their report. Remember if you don't understand their report it is imperative to ask questions.

It is not the job of the physical inspector to tell you whether or not you should move forward in purchasing a home. It will come down to your decision and your tolerance for making repairs to decide whether this is the right move for you. Make sure to ask lots of questions to the inspector so you fully understand their report and can make a prudent decision with the information they have conveyed.

The report that the inspector gives you can be forwarded to the seller as well. Having an inspection report may help you negotiate repairs on the property before you move into the home. There is nothing more convincing to the seller on whether a repair needs to be done than seeing it in the report stating that an item in their home is not safe or up to code.

A lot of buyers will ask when they should have a physical inspection done on a home, the answer is always. Not only will you find out what is wrong with a home, but you will find out what is right with the home as well. You very well will reinforce the reason why you fell in love with the home in the first place. It's definitely worth the price of the inspection to have peace of mind. - 30331

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