Tips for home buyers who want to figure out the condition of a home they are buying:
You certainly don't want to find out the condition of your home after you've gone all in!
We all seem to know someone who is more than willing to share their experience when purchasing or after purchasing a home. In fact, I'm sure a lot of us know of or someone in the trades or has even built a home. The amount of experience out in the real world is vast and a good thing. Let's face it, people have been buying and selling homes for a long time, and everything we read on the internet is true right? R..i..g..h..t, the problems with all of that information floating out there is that sometimes those experiences or opinions can be biased either willingly or unknowingly or just wrong. Now what? How do we know who or what to rely on? Well, I’m here to share some tips for you to think about.
· Seek out a professional. When don’t we seek out a professional nowadays to help us remedy whatever situations fall upon us. So why skimp on a large purchase.
· Hire a home inspector who is licensed, insured and a member of a reputable home inspection organization(s).
· Be confident in the inspector’s abilities before hiring them. There are plenty to choose from.
· In addition to experience look for someone with certifications too. Those certifications don't come easy, require additional education, and additional continuing education outside of the inspector certification in order to keep them. Lots and lots of continuing ed.
· The home inspector will give you a copy of the home's inspection report. Make sure you read it carefully. In fact, read through it 2 or 3 times. You never know what you'll pick up on that 2nd or 3rd time around.
· Ask the inspector to explain any findings that you do not understand or are getting conflicting information over. You hired the inspector to help, so let him help by answering your questions. It’s part of the job, and we love it. It shows us you care and appreciate our work.
· If you still have any concerns about the home's condition, get a second opinion from another home inspector. Often times the inspector who's a member of an organization can refer you to a colleague, a blog, or an outside source to back the finding, their claim and your concern.
· Especially in today’s market, be prepared to make the decision about addressing repairs yourself, or negotiate with the seller to fix any problems that are found during the inspection. Think about how much work you may or may not be willing to take on yourself, or hire someone to do for you.
· Lastly, a reminder about all of those opinions floating around out there. As the saying goes- "There's more than one way to skin a cat". Be confident in the decision you've made about the inspector you've chosen and the opinions or direction given. Many people have many different ideas and opinions on how to approach the same subject, issue or circumstance.
By following these tips, you can help protect yourself from buying a home that may be outside of what you’re willing to take on, and help you understand the condition of the home you may decide to buy after it's all said and done. Also keep in mind that this is another opinion!
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