Adventures in Househunting – Inspection

Who knew that once our contract was accepted, the stress would really start? I thought the hard part was finding the house! That joke was on me. There are so many more steps to buying your home after you find it.

The next step in my home purchase was to make sure the house was in good shape. My agent set up to have an inspector meet me at the house yesterday and look over every inch of it.  When I arrived, he was up on the roof.  He checked every window, the siding, the deck, the gas meter, the air conditioner units–and that was just outside. Once inside, he looked in places I would have never thought. He ran the whirlpool tub, the dishwasher, tested every faucet, showers, and the washer & dryer. He checked the outlets, walls, flooring, light fixtures. I must admit, I felt much better having a professional look over the house.

The inspector’s name was Matt, and he was with LandAmerica Property Inspection Services. He was very nice, worked quickly, and explained everything to us. I think he could see the first time buyer fear in my eyes! Luckily, the house is in great shape, and just has a few items that need immediate action. He left me with a great report, complete with photos, that will help to have the seller fix the problem areas.

Also, while he was there, my agent had an inspector from Broadview Security (formally Brinks) to check out the security system for free. Everything looked great there. Of course they mostly came to try to sell me service, but I explained that I would keep them in mind, once I closed on the house.

One thing to keep in mind while looking to buy a home is the cost of the home inspection. Mine was $395, plus an additional $65 for a termite inspection. I feel that $460 is a small fee to pay for peace of mind.  Luckily, nothing terrible was found, but had it been, that could have saved me thousands in home repairs. I highly recommend having the home you are looking to buy inspected. Most of the time, the seller will take care of any major repairs. If you don’t find them until after the closing, you are then responsible for the cost.

Do you have a question about buying your first home? Or a specific topic you would like me to address? Then feel free to email me at adventuresinhomebuying@mriwebsites.com. If you have any advice for this first time homebuyer, please feel free to leave it in the comments section.