Buying a home is a big investment. That’s why it is often a long process, and finding your ideal home can sometimes take several weeks.
After all this work, when you find a home that ticks all the boxes in your home buying checklist, the only logical thing to do is make the payment to start the purchase process, right? Wrong.
Before you start the purchase process, it is essential to ensure there are no unpleasant hidden surprises waiting for you within your home.
From mold to hidden structural flaws, there can be several problems that may only be revealed after you have started moving your furniture inside your new home.
While this is especially true for those buying properties that were being used by others, even newer properties may be riddled with problems that are not visible at first glance.
Therefore, it is important to inspect the following things before finalizing the purchase of any residential property:
Interior And Exterior Inspection
A general interior and exterior inspection is a standard procedure in any home-buying endeavor. Chances are, the seller has already conducted a similar inspection and may have also informed you about the issues that they found.
However, to protect your interests, you must insist on getting an inspection done by a professional that you select.
Besides the general interior and exterior inspection, it is also advisable to contact one of the local roofing companies to conduct a special inspection of the roof of a home.
This is especially important if you are buying an older property because there is a good chance that a roof that is more than 40 or 50 years old may require some significant repairs or even a complete replacement.
Pest/Insect Infestation
A full-scale pest infestation is an expensive problem that involves a lot of hassle. This is enough motive for a home seller to not share their knowledge of a pest infestation with a potential buyer.
A pest infestation is a very serious and potentially dangerous problem. For instance, a termite infestation has the potential to compromise the structural stability of a home’s foundations.
Hence, it is your responsibility as the future homeowner to identify this problem and discuss it with the seller. In most cases, the seller is responsible for dealing with existing pest problems in the home they are selling. This means if you find a problem, you can either ask the seller to fix it before you purchase, or tell them to knock off the price of the pest control process from the price of the property.
Lead Paint/Asbestos Insulation
This one is exclusively for those that are purchasing an older property. Old properties were often painted with lead-based paints. While these are not harmful until ingested, these can pose a threat to the safety of pets and children in the home.
Similarly, asbestos was used to insulate homes until the ’70s, when we realized that asbestos is toxic to humans.
Conduct an inspection to test the paint and find any instances of asbestos insulation. In most places, the seller is responsible for getting rid of such toxic elements before making the sale.
Conclusion
All these inspections may seem time consuming and unnecessary, especially when you are in a hurry to be the owner of your dream home. However, it is essential to remember that such inspections are designed to keep the interests of the homeowner protected.
