| Should you do your own pre-purchase inspection? | | | | InspectorFor specific inspections that are customary |
| Yes and no. Yes, you should inspect a house before | | | | in your area, you can rely on most reputable |
| you write an offer on it. Then you should put an | | | | companies. Termite inspections are the norm here in |
| inspection contingency clause in the offer, and hire a | | | | Tucson, for example, and it's cheap to get one done |
| professional inspector. Why do both?Doing your own | | | | by a pest control company (they hope to get the |
| inspection can help you get a better deal. Each | | | | job if there are termites to be eradicated). If the |
| cracked window or leaky toilet you can find is a | | | | roof has obvious problems, you can get a roofer to |
| negotiating point. You see, you could just make a low | | | | take a look and give you an itemized quote.For |
| offer, but a seller is more likely to accept your offer | | | | general pre-purchase inspections, though, it isn't as |
| if you have reasons for it being lower. In fact, you | | | | easy to hire the right person. In many states it is |
| should attach a list of your concerns to the offer, as | | | | relatively easy to get licensed for general home |
| an explanation and justification for your price.Use a | | | | inspection. What you really want, though, is not |
| list as you walk through the house. Using a home | | | | someone that read the right books and passed a |
| inspection checklist keeps you from forgetting things. | | | | test, but an inspector with real life experience. Ideally, |
| You don't have to know the difference between | | | | you want a former builder or tradesman that has real |
| 12-gauge and 14-gauge wiring, or become an expert | | | | experience with everything from electrical work to |
| on all the building trades, as useful as this would be. | | | | roofing to plumbing and more.You want to know |
| Just use what you do know, and make a note if | | | | what is wrong, but you also want to know what it |
| something looks "odd" or "smells funny." Afterwards, | | | | will cost to fix these problems. Not all inspectors will |
| you can have a professional inspector take a closer | | | | have that information for you. Ask if they can give |
| look.Pay for a professional pre-purchase inspection. | | | | you estimates for repairing any problem they find, |
| Unless you really know a lot, it can save your neck | | | | even if only in the form of a range of the possible |
| financially. An acquaintance of mine just discovered | | | | cost. You may be re-negotiating the price based on |
| that the house he made an offer on was almost | | | | his findings. You could call in contractors to get |
| beyond hope, because their was so much termite | | | | quotes on big problems, but you need to at least |
| and other damage. He backed out of the deal, and | | | | know which are big problems, and a good inspector |
| considering the tens of thousands of damage he | | | | should be able to tell you.To sum up: Do your own |
| hadn't planned on, I don't think he's regretting the | | | | walk-through inspection, then hire a professional. Ask |
| $300 he spent on inspections.Do a walk-through | | | | about their experience. Ask if they can note |
| inspection yourself, by all means. Just also put that | | | | estimated costs next to problems found. If you want |
| clause in the contract allowing you to have | | | | to learn more, ask if maybe you can tag along for |
| professional inspections too. Now, how do you | | | | the inspection. Do these things and you'll have a |
| choose the right person to do the inspections? | | | | thorough pre-purchase inspection.Steve Gillman has |
| Carefully.Pre-Purchase Inspection - Choosing An | | | | invested in real estate for years. |