Searching for a Home? 2 Reasons Not to Skimp on the Home Inspection Before Buying

14 October 2016
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Once you go through the process of applying for a home loan and have been approved, you can begin the exciting process of hunting for homes until you find one worthy of purchasing. It is financially beneficial to save up 20% for the down payment because then you do not have to worry about paying private mortgage insurance, but you will also want to have extra savings for other costs. Once you make an offer on a home that gets approved, the next step is paying for a home inspection. Some people look to spend the least amount of money on this service because they do not have much savings left over, but you should make sure you have enough money to get a thorough home inspection.

Get Closer to the True Home Value

A home inspection will show you things that you did not notice when looking at the home in person. So many aspects are inspected that will help you get closer to finding out the true value of the home. You do not want the initial offer to go through if there are various problems with the property. There are several ways to go about handling situations with major and minor issues. For instance, if you know that you are getting an excellent deal on the home and the inspection only shows a small problem or two, you may be willing to continue on with the purchase process regardless.

When major issues show up, you may want to walk away from the home altogether. You might not feel comfortable with certain problems not being taken care of by the current homeowner before selling. It is easy for house repairs to cost thousands of dollars in numerous categories. An electrician costs anywhere from $30 to $100 per hour, and rewiring the whole house can cost upwards of $8,000. It needs to be your top priority to avoid a situation in which these costly repairs fall into your hands.

Hire a Highly Capable Professional

A typical home inspection will require you to spend somewhere between $175 and $600. In this case, you should be more than willing to pay extra for additional services that can lead to a confident home purchase. Finding out as much information as you can about the home will only give you more leverage in negotiations, and it will bring you closer to assuming home ownership without any hidden issues.

Although the costs can add up when buying a home, especially when you add in the home inspection, this is one expense that you should be happy to spend a decent amount of money on for peace of mind. Ask your real estate agent for recommendations to ensure you get the most out of your home inspection.