Hey iSaved5K wealth builders, did the hard-nose sergeant scared you last week? I know that he’s a mean, tough and no-nonsense kind of guy, but ultimately, I think that he’s a pretty fair person. He just wants to push people to their limits and do their best.
If the sergeant is too intimidating for you, don’t worry, he’s just an occasion guest. Talking about guests, I have another one for you this week. This one is a bit nicer and friendlier. I am please to present to you, our guest contributor for this week, Caryl Anne Crowne.
About the Author
Caryl Anne Crowne is a contributing writer and media specialist for Mr. Electric. She regularly produces content for a variety of lifestyle and home blogs, based around the transitional obstacles that come with purchasing and inspecting homes. The stage is all yours Caryl Anne.
Thank you for letting me share this space with you Leo. I hope that the tips in this post will be able to help your readers – especially the ones that are planning to purchase a home in the near future.
It would be nice if buying a house was a simple affair, but that is not the case. There is a lot to learn when purchasing a home. Most of that you have to worry about is going to be taken care of by your real estate agent, but you still have a few things to consider. The following are five home inspection tips that should be helpful when purchasing a home.
1. Effective Inspection
One of the most important things a home-buyer should do before purchasing a home is hiring the right home inspector. It is very tempting, especially for first-time home-buyers, to simply hire the first person they see, but this could be a mistake. A good inspector is going to be able to uncover any issues the house may have. What you want to look for is someone with years of experience and education. It might even be a good idea to find out the inspector’s previous profession. Most inspectors were usually contractors before they started doing this.
2. Simplicity is Vital
Another thing you want to pay attention to is how the inspector you are hiring reports his or her findings. Inspectors usually have years of experience, which means that they have developed a language or terms within the profession. Most of these words are things that normal people are not aware of. A good inspector knows this and understands that he or she needs to simplify the report so that you can understand. You can simply visit the site of the person you are considering since many of them have samples on their web page somewhere.
3. Be There
Many first-time home-buyers tend to skip the inspection itself. Of course, going to the inspection is completely optional, but a smart home-buyer like you would go to the inspection. You are doing this to make sure that the person you hired checks every aspect of the house. Now, this does not mean you should interfere or be on top of the inspector. You still need to give the expert you hired enough space to complete the inspection. What you want to see your inspector do is check the foundation, walls, ceilings, windows, doors, basement, attic, plumbing, and the electrical system, just to name a few areas. You might also want to take a few notes to compare to your report when it is finally given to you.
4. Find Specialists
Yes, a good home inspection is good, but it should not end there. There are other inspectors that you should consider because there are other issues that general inspectors are not going to check. A major issue that needs to be checked is pest issues. A pest inspector should be able to ensure that your home does not have major pest problems like termites, which could end up ruining a dream home. Other experts can check issues such as asbestos, toxic mold, or even lead that might be hidden within the paint of the house you are considering.
5. Read, Read, Read
One mistake that many first-time buyers make is they forget to read the report received from their inspections. Some skim through the report while others just listen to the inspector. You do not want to do this because the inspector may only summarize his or her report, which is usually quite extensive. You want to read the entire report so that you are purchasing a home with eyes wide open. Be sure to pay attention to the estimated cost of repairs should the inspector highlight any, and compare that to the price of the property.
Hopefully, some of these tips help ensure that buying your home is not too troublesome. There is still a lot more to learn and do, but these inspection tips should make things easier for you.
About Leo
I wish I could have been there for our inspection. We were in another state and couldn’t leave on time. My husband had to finish his job and the kids were in school. It seemed to go well though. It’s two years later, and we don’t have major issues.
Hi Caryl,
Thanks for sharing this information! I have to admit that my fiance and I made a mistake for skipping inspection BEFORE we bought the house. We went through a really bad bidding war during a time where everyone was bidding over asking price and skipping inspection conditions. It was pretty much a “no conditions” type of offer.
Thinking back, I think we were crazy. I hope this post encourages home buyers to inspect their homes prior to buying. Walking into a home with no inspection done can turn your dream home into a nightmare.
These are some great tips, I have to admit as a renter I wouldn’t know where to start if I was to turn into a buyer so having some ideas just in case are wonderful.
I have never bought a house but I have seen my parents buy a few while I was a kid. And I can only remember how they made sure to look everywhere for everything. Like the heater broke just a day before they signed the house and because they noticed, the managed to have it paid by the seller! xx corinne
In addition to a professional home inspection, I’d also do my own independent research. There are many reliable sources you can get valuable information from.
I like that you mentioned being there. It’s important that you go to the house that you’re about to purchase and see everything for yourself. You’re the one who’s going to live there after all, your real estate agent simply cannot decide what’s good for you and what’s bad for you.
We are still waiting for our apartment to be done. This is a great article. We did go to the inspection but I intend to have another one when everything is done.
I have never bought a house so I had no idea of these tips. This was great information. Thanks
When we bought our first home, we didn’t think to do some of these tips. I have a friend who is in the process of finding her dream home. This should be helpful. Thank you!
These is educating. Haven’t bought my first home but when i do these are tips i plan to utilize to ensure i have complete rest of mind and comfort.
I think that these checks are important for both when you rent and buy a house. I remember the time when I rented a house only for the cleaning lady to discover that one wooden table was infested with termites. What a nightmare that was!
I agree with being there when the inspection isn’t done. Not saying that someone will skimp on the inspection, but better safe than sorry!
OMG these are great! About to buy my own home. Super good timing for this. Thank you!
There are really simple yet useful tips to take into account when buying a new home, no matter f it is our first or 5th because often a new acquisition involves an important amount of money, so these tips will help us save money.
When buying a home, you must act as a Project Manager and be on top of everything. I can’t imagine having an inspection and not being there to do a walk through with the inspector. These tips are great but often taken for granted when making such a major purchase.
Definitely things I will be keeping in mind for when I will be house hunting. I’ve been told hiring a home inspector is a must!
These tips are so spot on. There are so many things to consider when you are looking to buy a home. It is so much different than renting.
Home buying can be such a scary and overwhelming process, especially for a first timer. These are some excellent tips and things to know before starting the process.
XOXO
Elizabeth
http://www.akeenesenseofstyle.com
My sister is putting her house on the market next week. These are some great tips. I will be sure too send her this blog-post. Thanks for sharing!
The inspector will want to walk around your site; go with them or assign someone to go with them. Have a camera available and take lots of pictures of everywhere the inspector looks and everything they look at. Take notes of everything that the inspector observes. Write down the name of everyone the inspector talks to. Answer all questions asked, but only those questions that the inspector asks.
This is so important for new home owners. We had such a problem with water that the inspector did not even see. It was misery for a few years.
Well, as much as home inspection is VERY important and believe in them, the challenge is finding someone that will TRULLY be thorough. So here is another thing to consider…know what your inspector will NOT inspect. Believe it or not, there are many things they will not inspect, in part because they will either quote safety reasons, e.g. roof, or “hidden” issues, like foundations. And even if they do check these things, many home inspectors may have enough general knowledge but not specific enough to truly spot the issues on your house(s).
We hired high end certified home inspectors, trusting their years of experience and years into our purchases (we have bought 2 houses) discovered many things that we wish have been better investigated. It turns out that some of these things are not so hard to inspect and safety is really not a great issue.
You may have to supplement your home inspector with specialized inspectors, like roofing, foundation, landscaping drainage, etc (as alluded to in the article, but the list is much longer)…
Also, seek to understand the outstanding issues identified in the reports and what their REAL implications are, whether short-term or long-term. Unfortunately, this takes a lot of time to get educated, which is not always easy to do.
Looking back, I can see how the issues we ran into could have been better investigated if we knew better…but we did not know what we did not know. After 16 yrs, we know a lot more and what to look for…
Ok where was this when I was buying my first home? This is incredible! We ran into so many unprepared issues, it was so painful! this is a great list!