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