Buying a home is the largest purchase most people make.You must perform an inspection before you buy a home.Before you make an offer on the house you can do an inspection yourself.Once the sellers have accepted your offer, hire a licensed inspector to look over the house and make sure there are no costly repairs that need to be made.The inspection report can be used to negotiate the price of the home.
Step 1: Walk the grounds.
You can learn a lot by walking around the land surrounding the house.Check the quality of the lot and driveway as well as the condition of any exterior structures, such as a freestanding garage or storage unit.When it's raining, try to look at the house.You can check the lot's drainage and make sure the water doesn't get into the house.If there is standing water or debris, be on the lookout.If there are large trees near the house, they should not have branches hanging over the roof.
Step 2: There is a house.
You want to look at the structure of the house both inside and outside.The sides of the house should be straight.Make sure the siding or paint is in good shape.Make sure there aren't any cracks on the foundation.If the house has siding, look for dents.The roof is visible from the ground.Take note of the missing or damaged shingles.Make sure the gutter are in good shape.If you see something that you want to discuss with the seller, take note of it.
Step 3: Take a look at the interior.
You can get a good idea of whether you want to place an offer on the home with a personal inspection of the interior.Make a note of any damages by looking at the flooring and walls.If the house is dirty or contains old property from the sellers, you may want to ask them to clean it up.The selling price of the home won't be affected by interior damages because they're just part of moving into a new home.Since most people repaint the interior of a home when they move in, you won't be demanding that the house be repainted.Make note of any damaged cabinets, flooring, or other surfaces in the house, as well as any places where the floor creaks or appears unbalanced.
Step 4: You can go up the attic.
Look at the insulation and rafters in the attic of the home.If you see long, pencil-like protrusions from the rafters, they may be signs of a pest.There are a lot of holes in the rafters and you want to make sure the boards are solid and even.There should be no signs of rot.You don't have to have a lot of home repair experience to recognize a problem.Make a note of anything that doesn't look right.
Step 5: You can listen to the water heating system.
There may be more extensive repairs needed for a water heater that is gurgling or banging.Ask the seller if there are any strange noises coming from the water heater.The area around the water heater should be checked.The exterior of the unit needs to be solid and there isn't any water around it.A sagging floor may be a sign of previous flooding.
Step 6: Check for cracks in the foundation.
Depending on the age of the house, the cracks in the foundation aren't anything to worry about.Significant structural problems with the house may be an indication of wider cracks.Ask the sellers about the larger cracks if you see them.Try to find out how long the crack has been there and if it has grown over time.
Step 7: The wiring should be looked at.
At the electrical box, you want to be on the lookout for any spliced wires hanging outside, or any evidence of sloppy electrical work.There may be problems elsewhere, and sloppy wires at the box are a good sign.When the last electrical repairs were made, and who did them, you can find out from the seller.If it was done by someone inexperienced, you may have a bigger electrical problem on your hands.
Step 8: You can ask the seller for disclosures.
If the sellers want to make any disclosures about the condition of the property, you should hire a professional home inspector.Your inspector will check everything on their own, but you can give this information to them.Some areas require sellers to reveal certain types of defects.If the seller doesn't have any disclosures, you still need to hire an inspector.Sometimes sellers don't even think about the issues with the property because they have been living with them for a long time.
Step 9: You can talk to your agent.
Typically, your real estate agent will have particular inspectors they use on a regular basis to conduct home inspections on behalf of their clients.They know the reputations of local inspectors.Before you place an offer on the house, you should bring any potential problems to the attention of your real estate agent.A particular inspector may be used by your mortgage broker.They usually let you know in advance if that's the case.The buyer usually pays for the inspection.You can get a good idea of how much the inspection will cost from your real estate agent.
Step 10: You should check the inspector's credentials.
Before you hire an inspector, you need to make sure that their license is up to date and that they have experience inspecting homes like the one you plan to purchase.Find out how long the inspector has been doing residential home inspections.You may want to find out if those houses are the same size and location as yours.Ask the inspector how long the inspection will take, and what parts of the house will be inspected.If you want to inspect something that won't be covered, you'll need to hire a different inspector.
Step 11: Attend the inspection.
You can schedule the inspection at a time when you are available.The sellers might want to be there as well.Take the inspector through the house and explain what they see.Things that you didn't know were signs of a problem will likely be noticed by the inspector.If the inspector points out something that you don't understand, you should ask them what needs to be done to fix it.
Step 12: Line up additional reviews.
A general licensed inspector doesn't always go into detail about specific systems.You may need a specialist to assess the damage if potential problems are found.If the home has a septic system, you may want to have that system inspected by an expert.If there is no proof that the tank has been pumped in the past year, the contingency requires it to be inspected.Most general home inspections don't look at the problem in-depth.An expert on wood-destroying insects is needed if your general inspector noticed damage to the tress.Certain parts of the property, such as separate buildings or pools, may not be looked at by licensed inspectors.General inspectors only look at what is visible.It is possible to see damage inside the walls or underground.Inspectors will look in hard to reach places, like the attic, on top of the roof, and the crawl spaces below the house.An inspector won't check underground sprinkler systems.
Step 13: Go through the report.
The written report of your inspector's findings will be produced once they've finished going through the house.The inspector should explain each of the items in the report to you.It is certain that a home inspection will come out completely clean.An inspector can give an idea of how long a system will last.
Step 14: Make repairs that need to be done immediately.
In the worst case scenario, the inspector discovers a problem that will affect your ability to move into the house after buying it.If you're buying a home that has been empty for a long time, it's more likely to be the case.You can still get a credit for structural repairs even if the house is being sold as is.
Step 15: You can get an estimate for repairs.
If your home inspector provides a cost estimate in the report, you may want to get one of your own.An estimate from a specialist may be different from what the inspector told you.You can negotiate better with the seller if you have more than one estimate.If you have a tight budget, look for licensed repairmen and general contractors who will give you a free estimate.
Step 16: The seller can give you a credit for repairs.
If you want to deduct the cost of repairs from the price of the house, you have to ask the seller.The buyer doesn't have to release the information, but it is useful for them to point out the repairs they want the seller to pay.The seller usually pays for all repairs listed in the report, no matter how minor.You get a counter-offer from the seller.You can make a counter-offer, but the seller must either accept or deny it.
Step 17: You should not share your own thoughts.
You don't want the seller to know what your plans are for the property when you're trying to get them to pay for repairs.The amount the seller is willing to pay depends on how you feel about it.There are repairs that need to be made to the heating and air-conditioning system in the home.You will replace that system with a more energy efficient model.It's a good idea to tell the seller that you're going to replace the system anyway, so they won't have to pay for the repairs to the old system.