The Benefits of a Home Inspection

A home inspection performed by a knowledgeablethe finalizing the Offer to Purchase, the buyer will
inspector can be one of the best pre-saleknow which items in include as contingencies or
investments you make on a real estate transaction.special clauses in the sale agreement. The offer can
The inspector's work benefits both the buyer andfocus on precisely the items that need to be
the seller, sometimes in similar ways, but often thecovered. For example, if the roof is fine, as shown
inspection takes care of opposite sides of the sameby the buyer's inspection, there will be no need to
coin. If the seller orders the inspection, the cost ofmention that in the sales agreement.
the process can be added to the asking price of theThe home inspection done by the seller is also highly
house. If the buyer demands the inspection, it isbeneficial. By completing a seller's inspection, the seller
usually up to him to pay for the costs, so either way,knows precisely which repairs need to be made
the seller is not out the cost of the inspection.before listing the property for sale. There will not be
However, the buyer benefits from the inspection asthe necessity of repairing or replacing a roof if the
well. For example, if the inspection points out theinspection shows it to be in good shape. If the
necessity for major or minor repairs, the buyer canchimney needs to be cleaned, that can be
insist on correcting the problems prior to closing. Ifaccomplished before placing the home on the market.
there are major issues which are pointed out duringIf the furnace needs the pilot flame adjusted, that
the inspection process, the buyer can adjust thecan be finished before the listing.
purchase offer price by an amount that willConducting a Seller's Inspection will allow the property
incorporated the cost of the repairs.to be spruced up and made more attractive to the
The information gathered during a home inspectionbuyers. Things like chipped paint and rust stains on
can be invaluable to the buyer. The location of shutthe basement floor will all be taken care of prior to
off valves, pump switches, heating and cooling filters,the showing of your real estate. The buyer will only
and breaker panels are all information that will besee that everything is clean and in good repair,
found in a comprehensive home inspection. Thisdemonstrating that the seller takes pride in the
information will make it easy for the buyer to locateproperty and insures that everything is maintained
such necessities quickly in an emergency. Sometimesproperly.
valves and switches are located in unusual places,From the seller's standpoint, if the Seller's Inspection
particularly in older houses. The inspection processhas been completed and the results of the inspection
identifies and maps such important items.show that the house has no significant issues that
The buyer's home inspection limits surprises that canhave not already been dealt with, there are unlikely
crop up during the initial period in a new home. Maybeto be as many contingency or special clauses in the
there are shaky areas in some of the home systemsOffer to Purchase. Typically, when a prospective
that could easily fail early in the new ownership.buyers sees major items that have not yet been
Making use of a home buyer's inspection will let youtaken care of, he is suspicious that there may be
know what the tentative areas are so that you canother problems just under the surface so the Offer
be prepared for the cost or surprise that may hitto Purchase will include contingency clauses about
you. By knowing exactly where the problems lie, theeverything imaginable that could go wrong with the
buyer won't need to worry about 'what if's'. Theproperty. The purchaser can hardly be blamed for
buyer will know precisely where unexpected systemwanting to make sure that there won't be expensive
failures are likely to show up.repairs or renovations that will show up after closing.
By completing the buyer's inspection prior to making