Posts Tagged ‘Property’

The Essential Home Inspection Checklist

Monday, September 20th, 2010

Having a home inspection checklist is an essential tool for any new homebuyer. Whether it is your very first home or your fiftieth, having a home inspection checklist can be an invaluable aid. Aside from hiring a home inspector to go over your potential purchase with a fine tooth comb, you can conduct your own inspection as long as you know what it is you are looking for. Unless you have previous experience working for a home inspection service, it is not likely that you will know all of the details that need to be addressed when buying a house.

Getting a pre-written home inspection checklist is one of the smartest ways of gaining the secret knowledge for which people usually pay home inspectors lots of money. Although hiring an inspection service to conduct the final inspection of any home purchase is always a necessity, you can always do your own preliminary check with your checklist. Another very good reason for having a home inspection checklist is that you will know whether the home inspector you hire is covering all of the areas that he or she should be checking.

It is never a guarantee that you will get the kind of in-depth inspection that you require when you hire a home inspector or a home inspection service to go over the property on which you are making an offer. Depending on the home inspector’s experience and the manner in which he or she was trained, it is very possible that the inspection may be lacking in certain areas. However, if you have a home inspection checklist then you can follow along and make sure that what should be checked is actually being checked.

Buying a house can be a very tricky process. Sellers always do their best to show their property in the best light in order to get a quick sale. However, that does not mean that every home is in perfect condition. There are always little problems that will need to be addressed – that is just perfectly normal. What you need to find out is if there are any big problems that will require big money to repair down the road. Going over the plumbing, electricity, foundation, insulation and structure is not just wise, it is essential. However, unless you are a trained home inspector, you will be hard pressed to know exactly what you are looking for – and that is where a comprehensive home inspection checklist comes into play.

The Importance of a Home Inspection

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

When you want to buy or sell a home you will want to have a home inspection done. There are benefits to having this inspection done for the buyer and the seller. You don’t want to buy or sell a home without knowing this information. The importance of a home inspection for the buyer is just as important as for the seller. The benefits to having a home inspection done are that you will be able to find out everything about the home before you buy it. This will allow you to see the home up close so you know exactly what you are buying.

The advantages of a home inspection for the seller are that you will be able to find out about any previously unknown problems or potential upgrades so you can address them before you sell. It is always important to be aware of any issues in advance so you can disclose the problems to the buyer if you are not able to fix them. This will allow the transaction to go smoothly for everyone concerned.

Now that you know what the importance of a home inspection is you need to know how to get it done and what your role should be during the inspection. The seller is usually the one to get the home inspection done but the buyer can also have their own inspection done if they choose to. So if you want to get someone to inspect the home you will need to do a couple of different things.

You want to make sure that you hire a professional. Make sure that the inspector you use is a member of ASHI or American Society of Home Inspectors. This way you know you are getting someone that knows what they are doing. In Canada there are currently no mandatory certifications or legislative requirements for home inspectors, however there are industry associations such as The Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors (CAHPI). After the home inspection is done you want to make sure that you get a copy of the printed report. You can usually get the written report with no problems but you want to make sure that you ask about any photos that may have been taken during the inspection. It is a good idea to have a copy of both the report and photos.