Did you ever hear the term “What you see is what you get”?  That saying is not true when it comes to buying a home.  So, how do you know what you are getting?

Every purchaser should retain the services of a qualified home inspector to conduct a thorough and careful inspection of the home.  That is the only way for the buyer to be sure that the home is free from defects, or, if there are defects you know what they are before you buy.  It is the practice of our office to encourage clients to hire an independent, insured, home inspector and NOT utilize the services of friends or relatives.  Consider that, if the inspection fails to identify some important defect, what remedy do you have where the person at fault is a friend or relative?  None.

On the day of the inspection, it is important that you be there with the inspector.  He or she will answer all of your questions and you will learn far more about the home than you will learn from reading the final report.

Going into this process it is important to recognize that the inspector’s job is to inform you of what you are buying.  Every home has defects.  There is no “perfect” home.  So, you as the buyer want to focus on those issues which would affect your willingness to purchase the home at the price you propose to pay.  Your goal is to identify those issues that you want the seller to repair and seek the assistance of the broker to negotiate an agreeable schedule of repairs.