To Inspect or Not to Inspect, That is the Question!

Whether you are a first time home buyer or you have had many homes throughout your lifetime, not everyone is an expert at what you should look for when it comes to buying a home.  Sure, everyone knows about square footage, flow, design, and yes how many bedrooms or bathrooms, but what about the little things.  The things that may not be so easy to see on the surface but are clear signs that maybe you need to look at another property.  I am talking about the five little things that can have a huge impact on your home, electrical, plumbing, landscaping, foundation, and attic space.  When you look at a home, the number of rooms and bathrooms are easy to see if they meet your needs, and you can see if the rooms need paint or carpeting.  What you may not be able to see is if the home had issues within the walls and things were repaired and then covered up, or even worse, just covered up and never repaired.  This is why it is so important to have the house inspected before you purchase a home, so the expert can look at the things that you may have overlooked and who knows the signs of things that may need some attention in the near future. 

Everyone has heard the age old story of the buyers that purchased a home and then there were things wrong with it in the end.  Whether things start falling apart or the buyer decides to do some renovating and a whole bunch of hidden problems come to light.  The electrical work has been shoddy or evidence of previous electrical issues rears its ugly head, making the home a tinderbox in danger of an electrical fire.  What if the plumbing has had a leak within the walls?  The leak may have been repaired but nasty mold is wreaking havoc in the walls.  Sure, some cracks in a foundation are normal, but do you know the difference between normal and something that can ruin the foundation and thus lower the value of your home by $50,000.  The curb appeal of a home is important, but what if the landscaping is causing too much moisture to get into your foundation or worse, the roots of the trees are wreaking havoc on the plumbing and foundation?  The attic is one of the few places where everything that could be wrong is apparent, but if you don’t bother to look up there, all is for not.  What if there was a problem with the roof or all the insulation has been replaced?  These are things that a home inspector will look for and bring to your attention.  So before you fall in love with a home, make sure you learn the whole story.