When buying a home, a thorough, professional home inspection is imperative to save money and stress as a new homeowner.
Don’t Let New Paint & Great Photos Fool You: Schedule A Home Inspection ASAP
It’s incredible what a new coat of paint and professional real estate photos can do when it comes to making a home look like it’s in far better shape than it actually is. Our clients are often surprised when we reveal what’s really happening behind the scenes, up in the attic, or under the countertops.
A home inspection is essential when buying a home so you know exactly what you’re paying for – or what you will have to pay for after the close of escrow.
5 Ways a Professional Home Inspection Can Save You Thousands
During a whole home inspection, the licensed, reputable home inspectors at Super Inspection Pros (SIP) take a close look at every visible aspect of your home – from attic to crawl spaces. If we suspect that there’s water or pest damage, we might also recommend that clients take advantage of specialty inspections, such as an infrared inspection that allows us to see inside interior wall, floor, and ceiling spaces without cutting into them.
So, if you’re on the fence wondering “why get a home inspection?” here are a handful of ways a comprehensive home inspection can save you thousands of dollars.
1. Our Results Can Result in Significant Repair Credits From Sellers
Most of the time, even the sellers are unaware of the poor condition some of the home’s systems are in, such as the roof, plumbing, or electrical wiring. This is especially true if the house appears to be functioning properly or has been vacant for some time (very common when the sales are part of an estate). Then there are times when sellers hope that a less-qualified inspector will miss things.
Regardless, the detailed findings on our final inspection reports are precisely what your Realtor needs to get down to serious negotiations.
Real-life example: Out-of-town buyers had their real estate agent meet the home inspector on-site after the house was under contract. During the plumbing inspection, the inspector filled the bathtubs in both bathrooms and drained them. All of a sudden, the inspector and agent heard a thunk and a whoosh, followed by an audible flow of water down below them.
The old galvanized pipes in the garage had completely fallen apart during the test, and all that water flooded right into the garage. The sellers were mortified (and knew that this would now be impossible to hide from other prospective buyers), so they offered the clients a substantial repair credit.
Had these buyers made an offer on a “great deal” without that inspection, they would have spent tens of thousands of dollars on that (and other) repairs the home required to be habitable.
2. Reduced Lifetime Home Maintenance Costs
Our final inspection reports clearly identify the most significant red flag items that should be prioritized for repair or replacement. The sooner you replace, update, or improve outdated or failing systems, the less money you’ll spend month after month – or year after year – on maintenance costs required to keep things running.
Having the seller’s repair credits to repair failing systems early, or setting aside a bit of extra rehab funds to create a scaled home improvement timeline, means you’ll save thousands – or even tens of thousands – of dollars over a lifetime of routine maintenance and repair costs once our recommendations are addressed.
3. You May Be Able To Negotiate a Lower Sales Price
Sometimes, handy buyers have the skills required or personal connections with skilled professionals to complete necessary repairs or improvements on their own. In that case, a lower sales price may be more desirable than repair credits, depending on other factors.
There are also cases where the issues that show up during our pre-purchase home inspection may not require immediate repair, but they can still diminish the property’s value. In this case, clients and their real estate agents have all of the information they need to negotiate a lower sales price.
4. We’ll Keep You From Paying For Warrantied Issues In a New(er) Home
One of the most significant benefits of buying a new home is that you won’t have to worry about repairs, replacements, or rehabbing anytime soon, right? In theory, that’s true; however, even the best contractors (or their subs) can make mistakes or overlook issues that should have been addressed before the close of escrow or on the post-occupancy punch list.
- If you’re buying a new construction home. If you’re purchasing a brand-new home, we recommend creating a calendar reminder to schedule an 11-month warranty inspection. This inspection occurs approximately 30 days prior to your one-year purchase anniversary, allowing us to identify any issues, the majority of which would be covered under the builder’s warranty. That way, any repairs/replacements will be corrected by the contractors or vendors free of charge. Once the one-year builder warranty expires, homeowners are on their own when it comes to funding most repairs that may arise two or three years later. That can be surprisingly costly, depending on what goes wrong.
- If you’re purchasing a home that’s three years old or less. Be wary of falling into the “why get a home inspection when the house is so new” trap. Several issues can arise within the first three to five years after a home is built due to things that were wrong from the start. Additionally, unless they can provide proof, the previous homeowners may not have scheduled an 11-month inspection, so any latent issues will likely begin to surface once you own the home. Or, there can be things they already know are going wrong, which could be a reason for the sale.
The reasonable cost of a professional home inspection is a very small price to pay for peace of mind, or to learn what you need to know to make a sound decision or offer.
5. We’ll Spare You From Purchasing a Money Pit
This last point takes us back to the beginning, where we talked about seller’s repair credits. On the other hand, which can be challenging for excited buyers, is that our final home inspection report may be so informative that you decide to walk away from the sale altogether. The last thing you want to do is throw your hard-earned money into a money pit.
Sometimes, there are so many things needing attention, especially when it comes to issues like a failing septic system, roof replacement, significant pest infestations, mold, or other factors causing structural rot, that it’s simply more than buyers want to take on.
The initial heartbreak is understandable, but being armed with this type of information at the forefront means you don’t invest your savings into a long-term money pit. Our findings give you the freedom to find the right house for the right place with the right level of maintenance for you.
Trust SIPs Professional Home Inspection To Save You Time, Energy, And Money
When you’re buying a home, you and your agent have the right to learn everything you can about its structural and systems status to make savvy decisions.
We’ve seen time and time again how our pre-purchase home inspections have helped clients make more informed decisions that often save them money and provide stress-free peace of mind. Contact SIP to schedule your whole home inspection. Get the information you need to make sure you’re purchasing a dream home that’s worthy of your investment.
