| When you bought your home, chances are pretty | | | | to do). Since the report should cover all of the |
| good that you paid a professional home inspector to | | | | systems and significant features of your home, you |
| check it out before you bought it. It may have been | | | | can record on it (or a copy) the dates and |
| especially useful at the time in your decision regarding | | | | expenditures for all work on your home. This |
| the home's value. But do you know what you did | | | | becomes a handy reference for you, especially when |
| with the report once the purchase negotiations were | | | | you decide to sell your home. |
| completed? | | | | We've been recommending for years now that home |
| Your home inspection is good for much more than | | | | sellers pay for a professional home inspection when |
| simply a tool for negotiating adjustments to the sale | | | | they list their home for sale. Regardless of the |
| price. Once you've purchased the home, the home | | | | improvements you may have made, every home |
| inspector's report can be useful for prioritizing | | | | inspection will turn up at least some negatives. But, if |
| maintenance, improvements and upgrades that need | | | | you are diligent about your home maintenance and |
| to be made to your home. The report should have | | | | improvements and keep good records, you increase |
| addressed all of the major systems and features of | | | | the likelihood that your home will have a favorable |
| your home with indications regarding projected life | | | | report. Home buyers are faced with so many good |
| expectancy (of the system). Some reports also | | | | options in today's market, and they tend to prefer |
| include recommendations for maintenance to keep | | | | homes that have been well-maintained and are |
| systems in working order. | | | | move-in ready. |
| Whether you've just bought your home or you | | | | So make the most of what you paid for and dig out |
| bought it years ago, the inspector's report | | | | your inspection report. Chances are, there are some |
| undoubtedly identified areas of your home which | | | | areas of your home you haven't even thought of |
| need some attention. Reviewing the report should | | | | which will be easy to improve today, increasing the |
| give you some idea of what routine seasonal | | | | likelihood of an easier sale in the future. |
| maintenance you need to do (or hire a professional | | | | |