Home Inspection Tips for Buyers to Assist in the Process
Your real estate professional has told you to schedule your home inspection. What now?! Follow our Home Inspection Tips for Buyers to go along with the rest of it!
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- Contact the inspection companies referred to you OR do your own research online. Consider reviews. Consider pricing. Look at sample reports. Feel confident. This inspector will be going through your potential home, your largest investment and assessing it. That information will then be provided to you in the form of a report, which will help you understand the homes physical condition and any financial needs. Be selective. Be flexible if you can. If you only want an inspector on Thursday at 9 am (and it’s Wednesday), that means whomever you hire isn’t the one you chose for credibility, only that they were available. Try and choose one and work out the rest.
- Yes, price is important for your inspector. However, a professional should not charge hundreds less than most others. That means, they are possibly just not busy and looking for work. Do they spend the same time? Perform same services? Use software that is easy to read? Have todays technology (drone for example)? Read reviews!
- The inspection will be performed on the scheduled day. The inspection should last approximately 1 1/2 – 2 hours for a home under 2,500 square feet and adjust accordingly from there. For what the inspector will review, check out https://jlchomeinspectionsnj.com/what-to-expect-from-county-nj-home-inspection/
- The inspector will prepare a report for you. To view one of our sample reports prepared through premier online software you can visit: https://jlchomeinspectionsnj.com/sample-reports/
This report will be your guide. This report will live on beyond the transaction, keep it somewhere. Use it as a to do list. Take care of what is most important (yes maybe even before some cosmetic ideas you had!) - With the report, you will consider the inspectors input and discuss with your real estate professionals. If the report advises repairs or to consult with a trade professional – do your due diligence! Do NOT ignore any suggestions of the inspector.
- You will provide with that report, a list of what you want the seller to assist with. They can do for example issue a credit to you, have the items addressed or do nothing.
- Keep the financial picture of your purchase in mind and ensure you can afford the home and are able to maintain it. Also, be sure that once you make any repairs, that you will still be paying market value (discuss with your agent)
- Remember what drew you to this home. Remember why you wanted that home. Remember your search. Remember what led you to that home. Everything is fixable.
- Look at the big picture. For example, you are paying $20,000 under list price for example which is a great buy. The seller may not be financially able to make repairs or offer credits with the current contract at hand. Consider the market that you are in.
- If repairs are made, you should have the opportunity to verify those repairs prior to closing. Ensure they have a licensed professional do them and ensure you have a receipt for the repairs. For example, if it is a plumbing issue, ensure they hired a plumber. You can also have a reinspection (for a fee) performed by the inspector. If they are offering a credit, what was it based on? If it’s meant to cover the repair, contact your own professional for a quote. One that you will be hiring. Ensure that it wasn’t a family friend of theirs who is going to write an estimate and not accept the job when you call.
Remember, there are NO perfect houses. There are new construction homes with items to report on ! Trust your real estate professionals and follow the process. Once you get the keys, BREATHE!!
There are a lot of processes when buying a home. These Home Inspection Tips for Buyers are a sample of things that we’ve learned along the way. Any questions in specific, let us know! Looking for information to book? Contact us today!