Inspection Information
Before signing up the sale deed and purchasing the home that you have selected you must have a home inspection done. In USA there is the Home Inspectors Association who have trained and qualified Home Inspectors and you will have to hire a certified home Inspector to inspect the home that you propose to buy. Before signing the sale deed or going through with the sale first check with the mortgage company what all do you need to comply with before they will be ready to extend you the loan. Some mortgage companies require that the house should have a professional home Inspectors report about the house before they will give the mortgage. Also make it clear to the seller that you will only purchase the house after you have had an inspection done. A house may look okay but it is only after a professional inspection has been done that you will know if there are any serious problems with the house you plan to buy or the house has got a clean bill.
To do your own inspection start with the foundations of the house and see that there is no cracks or shifts in the foundation. Then check the roof both externally as well as internally. Ask the owner how old the roof is and see if there are broken tiles or other apparent damage to the roof. It would not be a bad idea to get a ladder and climb up on the roof and examine it closely. Also examine the roof from all angles and not just the front. Then inspect the exterior of the house the condition of the walls the windows, the garage, decks, paint. Then inspect the house from inside check the roof and the walls for signs of dampness or leakage. Inspect the plumbing and the electrical wiring and fittings. Check that the heating and air conditioning systems are working and that the house is properly sealed. Check the insulating and ventilating systems. Then check the lot for any drainage or a tree whose roots extend towards the house or branches growing towards the house.
One can get a home inspection check list from the web and should follow it when inspecting a house. One can also buy a home inspection report by hiring a certified and registered home inspector. There are any numbers of home inspection check lists available on the net that one can download and use as an inspection checklist. Pre home buyers inspection is necessary as this is a one time investment that a person makes and cannot afford to go wrong in this. One can even ask the real estate agent to get a home buyer inspection done before showing one the house. One may also require buying home termite inspection to fulfill a mortgage company’s requirements and one should remember that in USA most houses are made of wood and termites are the biggest enemies of wood. Therefore even if the mortgage company does not ask for a termite inspection report it would still be a good idea to get one. As this may save one a lot of heart aches later on.
Buying a house is a serious business which cannot and should not be taken lightly and one should first do their own home inspection by virtually checking the house one plans to purchase with a magnifying glass and identifying and flaws in it and then getting a professional home inspector and termite inspector to inspect the house so that one is completely satisfied about the condition of the house and know that the money that they are paying to own the house is a good and lasting investment that they are making for their future.
