Why Get a Home Inspection?

By: Adam Smith

There are many advantages to getting your prospective home inspected. From getting an in-depth look at the home’s condition to using the information gathered as potential negotiating points, the cost savings in the long run could be huge! Plus, you will have the peace of mind knowing that your family is safe, you have identified potential problems. You will be living in a home that was inspected for things that could affect life and safety.

Some types of loans require you to obtain a home inspection as a condition of the loan. These loans are usually FHA loans. The home must meet the standards that are set forth by the Federal Housing Agency. Thus, a home inspection is required. These types of loans can be attractive to people because of their lower down payment requirements, but they do have some requirements that differ from other prospective lenders.

Once the home inspector has submitted his inspection report, you will then have a detailed list of the items noted at the time of the inspection that were: safety hazards; in fair, moderate, or excellent condition; or maintenance items. This list will give you an excellent idea of what to expect with this home. It will also provide a great homeowner’s list of future and ongoing maintenance items. This will prepare you to decide to tackle them on your own or to hire a handyman or contractor.

All in all, there are many great benefits to purchasing a home inspection. Having the peace of mind and the inspection report are well worth it on their own, but you can use it as leverage during negations and will likely save you much more than the cost of the inspection.