HOME INSPECTION: AN IMPORTANT ASPECT TO KEEP YOUR HOME SAFE

A home inspection is just like going to the doctor or getting your car fixed. Even if you didn’t do anything wrong, it can be nerve-racking and traumatic when there are problems with your house in the hot seat. A clean report might sting a bit even though nothing bad was found because of how close we all get to our homes.\n\nA home inspection is not an all-ornothing test. However, it does allow the buyer to renegotiate and walk away if they are dissatisfied with anything that was found during the process of inspecting your property!\n\nWHAT IS A HOME INSPECTION?\n\nIn the process of closing a home sale, buyers typically hire a home inspector to come in and do an inspection. They identify any potential health or safety hazards that they may not have been aware of before buying it.\n\nWHAT ARE THE TYPES OF HOME INSPECTIONS?\n\nThere are two types of home inspections in a sale: the buyer’s inspection and the seller’s (or pre-listing) inspection. The buyer can get an evaluation before making their offer, so they know what to expect when it comes time for closing on that house. Issues might be brought up during these evaluations which could allow them to renegotiate or request repairs if need be--so make sure you’re prepared! HOW DOES THE HOME GET INSPECTION? The average home inspection takes a few hours and can be done in any number of ways. The inspector will inspect the house from top to bottom, looking for anything that is broken or hazardous, noting all such issues on their report which usually only takes 3-4 days to complete.\n\nWHO GETS TO BE THERE? \n\nAnyone can join in on a home inspection. In the past, it was common for only one person to be present during this process - but times have changed! Nowadays more people are better informed about what’s going on inside their homes and want to witness every step of the way. A good idea is bring someone with you or ask them if they’re available when your inspector schedules time slots so that there’s always at least two sets of eyes watching out for any potential problems within your new property investment.\n\nWHAT TO LOOK FOR DURING AN INSPECTION?\n

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• Roof damage or issues
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• HVAC problems
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• Issues with electrical of the property
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• Water Damage
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• Plumbing
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• Structural Issues
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• Pest and Insect Infestation
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\nAll in all, home inspections are meant to keep homeowners safe. You can get a pre-listing inspection and avoid repair requests from house buyers, but you will be legally required to disclose the findings of the report which may prove detrimental in your sale process.\n\nHome buyers and sellers are always at risk of having their deal fall through, but there’s a way to ensure that won’t happen. When an offer has been accepted by the seller and is then countered with negotiation from the buyer, it can lead to either tearing apart or strengthening this agreement depending on how you respond. The only way for both parties to be sure they’ll go into closing without any issues is if home inspection results come back clean before signing anything else.\n\nWritten By: Sami Ahmad