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Get a House Inspection Before Buying

Before you finalize your house purchase, be sure the house is in good condition. The best way is to have a professional inspection.

Inspecting the physical condition of a house is an important part of the home-buying process. In some states, such as California, buyers are aided by laws requiring sellers to disclose considerable information about not only the condition of the house itself but also potential hazards to the house from floods, earthquakes, fires and the environment.

Whether or not the seller provides these disclosures, you should have the property inspected -- to look for defects or malfunctions in the building's structure, such as the roof, plumbing, or foundation, and to detect pest infestations or damage.

When to Have the Property Inspected

Most buyers get professional inspections only after making an offer on the property. After the offer has been accepted by the seller, the buyer arranges and schedules the inspections. The offer is commonly made contingent on the buyers' approving the results of one or more inspections. Although it's possible to arrange for professional inspections to be done before you make a written purchase offer, most buyers prefer to be in contract with the seller before spending money on the inspections. On the other hand, in a very hot market, having an inspection done before the offer can be a useful bidding strategy, allowing you to remove that contingency from your purchase offer.

Before paying for a professional inspection, conduct your own informal inspection. The best time to do this is before you make an offer, so that you can save yourself the trouble should you find serious problems. There are several useful do-it-yourself inspection books available.

Hire a Professional Inspector

Hire a general contractor or home inspector to inspect all major house systems, from top to bottom, including the roof, plumbing, electrical and heating systems, foundation, and drainage. This will take two or three hours and cost you anywhere from $200 to $500, depending on the location, size, age, and type of home. Accompany the inspector during the examination, so that you can learn more about the maintenance and preservation of the house, ask questions, and get a real sense of which problems are serious and which are relatively minor.

Tips on Choosing a Home Inspector

As the buyer, you want someone who will be thorough and tough, not someone who is willing to overlook small problems. A reliable personal recommendation is the best way to find a home inspector.

Be careful about asking your real estate agent for a referral. Your agent is almost surely anxious that your deal go through and therefore may recommend an inspector not overly persnickety about identifying problems. Make sure your real estate agent knows that you want an inspector who is especially thorough. You might also ask a real estate professional who is not connected with your sale which agent he or she would hire to inspect a house that he or she was buying.

You can get local referrals and valuable information about home inspections from the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) at http://www.ashi.com. Inspectors who are members of ASHI must pass technical exams, meet specific standards of practice, and, as a condition of membership, are not permitted to do contracting work.

Before finally deciding whom to hire, get several references and check the status of each individual's license and any outstanding complaints with state licensing agencies. Also check with your state consumer protection agency.

Be sure to ask the inspector about his or her liability insurance coverage, including "errors and omissions" (E&O) or malpractice insurance to cover inspector negligence. In the unfortunate event that the inspector doesn't do the job right, and you need to sue over problems that the inspector failed to report, such coverage will ensure that money is available to pay your damages. (Realize, however, that because houses are complex structures, and inspectors can't see through walls, not every problem that pops up later is one that you can sue over.)

Get a Pest Report

It's wise to hire a licensed structural pest control inspector, who will create a special pest report on the property. The pest inspector will look for infestation by termites and flying beetles, as well as evidence of dry rot and other fungal conditions. Some general contractors are also licensed pest control inspectors, but they will of course charge extra for doing double duty. Be sure you get a written report of all inspections.

Consider Special Inspections

Depending on the property and your personal sensitivities, you may want to arrange specialized inspections for hazards from floods, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. You may also want to hire inspectors to suss out environmental health hazards such as mold, asbestos, and lead.

After the Inspections Are Completed

If the inspection reports show the house is in good shape, you can proceed with the purchase, knowing that you're getting what you paid for.

If the inspections bring problems to light -- such as an antiquated plumbing system or major termite damage -- you can negotiate to have the seller pay for necessary repairs, or you can back out of the deal, assuming your contract is properly written to allow you to do so.

To read and printout a copy of the Form please link below.

Checklist: Making a Homeowner's Insurance Claim

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DISCLAIMER: This site and any information contained herein are intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Seek competent legal counsel for advice on any legal matter.

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