| Is there any good reason to do your own home | | | | what you do know. Make a note if something looks |
| inspection? How about to get a better deal. Every | | | | "odd" or "smells funny." Afterwards, you can have a |
| flaw you can find is a negotiating point. You don't | | | | professional inspector take a closer look. |
| have to learn building codes, and you probably should | | | | Home Inspection As A Negotiating Tool |
| use a professional inspector in any case. The point of | | | | Many buyers make an offer on a home with an |
| learning what to look for is to protect yourself and | | | | inspection contingency clause. After an inspector |
| get a better deal. | | | | goes in, the buyer can re-negotiate the price based |
| Home Inspection - Use A Checklist | | | | on his findings, or at least know that nothing is |
| A good home inspection checklist, keeps you from | | | | wrong. This isn't a bad way to go, but lowering your |
| forgetting things. I have more than a hundred items | | | | offer too much can often offend a seller, and blow |
| on my own list. Think you could keep all these items | | | | the deal. How would you feel if somebody dropped |
| in mind as you walk through a property? For that | | | | their offer by $10,000 after they already put it in |
| matter, did you remember to look for water stains | | | | writing? |
| on the basement walls the last time you looked at a | | | | A better way is to find as many problems with the |
| house? Bring a list! | | | | property as you can, BEFORE making the offer. A list |
| Good lists are organized by area of the house, usually | | | | of these problems presented with an offer is a good |
| starting outside. Walk around and then through the | | | | impersonal (therefore non-offensive) way to present |
| home, checking each item on the list. Take notes. If | | | | a low first offer. It's a good idea to keep the |
| a gutter is coming loose on the side of the house, | | | | inspection contingency in the offer, but you probably |
| write it down, along with notes about rotting wood | | | | won't have to lower your offer this way. |
| or anything else you notice. | | | | There is no need to be a carpenter to note that a |
| It doesn't matter if you don't know the difference | | | | railing is loose. Most of us can see if a home needs |
| between 12-gauge and 14-gauge wiring. You don't | | | | new paint. Home inspection can start with simple |
| have to become an expert on all the building trades, | | | | things like these, and end with a better price for you. |
| as useful as this would be. You just have to use | | | | |