Do I Really Need A Lakeland Fl Home Inspection?
One of the first things you should do before you decide on buying a Lakeland Fl home for sale it to have it professionally checked by a home inspector. Buying a home is already expensive enough as it is, why shell out an additional $450 for a home inspection if it’s not really a requirement? Is it really worth the investment? Can’t I just inspect the home myself? If you are asking yourself these questions and are hesitant on getting a professional home inspection, read on for the reasons why you should not skip this optional step.
It’s true that the goal of a home inspection is to check the safety, quality, and general condition of all the visible things within the home (as well as a few exteriors). Visible things means those components that do not involve opening up ceilings or walls and dismantling things. Though it sounds pretty simple and easy enough for anyone to do, there are certain things which the untrained eye may not notice or an ordinary person may not give attention to. Examples of what a home inspector examines that most ordinary people may not be able to identify are:
1. Identifying a toilet in need of replacement.
2. Identifying faulty wiring on a garbage disposal
3. Identifying the safety of a fireplace and if it is still usable
4. Checking whether the dryer is not venting out properly
5. Making sure the water heater is properly strapped and stable, especially in earthquake-prone areas
6. Identifying if the vent above the range hood in the kitchen is a fire hazard
A home inspection is also useful for the buyer since it can be used in the contingency of your purchase offer for the Lakeland Fl home for sale. You can learn more about this section of the purchase offer in another article I wrote. This contingency states that if significant damages and defects are revealed as a result of the home inspection, the buyer can back out of the offer without any penalty within a certain time period. Or, if the buyer still decides to purchase the lakeland Fl home, the buyer can negotiate for a lower price from the seller to make up for the cost of repairs to the damages uncovered by the home inspection or the seller may give you cash credit at closing so you could have the repairs done yourself, and this is where the cost of home inspection can pay for itself. Another option is the buyer could request that the seller to make the necessary repairs in a certain timeframe before the buyer moves into the home. It would be easier to negotiate these terms with the seller if a professional home inspection is done on the home, since it will be an unbiased observation from a third party.
Before you have a home inspection done, make sure to review the contract for the things that are NOT included in the inspection so you won’t feel ripped on later on. The home inspection usually does not include the following:
- Engineering problems. Involves lot lines, zoning issues, geologic stability, environmental hazards, and code compliance
- Pest and termite infestation. Home inspections could not cover termite and pest inspections since law requires that pest inspections be done only by licensed pest control operators.
- Appliances that are not included in the sale of the Lakeland Fl home like refrigerators. In case these items are included in the sale and you want to have them inspected, ask the inspector about this first before signing the contract.
- Concealed conditions.Those defects that involve looking behind walls and ceilings, pulling up floorings, or drilling holes cannot be included in a home inspection since you are not allowed to alter someone else’s home before you purchase it.
- Environment and health hazards such as lead paint, radon gas and asbestos
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- Gas appliances. This is done by the gas company since they are specifically trained to do this inspection and it is actually a free service.
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- 7. Swimming pools, hot tubs
- 8. Cosmetic defects like chipped paint or stained carpet are not in the scope of a home inspection since it does not pose a danger to the buyer and it doesn’t take special training to see these defects, so why pay someone for something you could do?
A great home inspector will even tell you of routine maintenance that should be done on the home.
It may cost you a little more money and time to have a professional home inspection done on the Lakeland Fl home for sale, but it will definitely be worth it.. If the inspection reveals problems that you could get the seller to fix before you move in, then that will definitely save you time and money. A home inspection can also help a first time homebuyer some lessons on home maintenance and a checklist of things that need attention and maintenance to keep the home safe. So it is important that you be present and come along while the home inspection is being done.
A home inspection may be optional, but don’t skip this important step. Don’t expect to find a perfect Lakeland Fl home without any existing defects. The goal of a home inspection is to make sure that the Lakeland Fl home for sale doesn’t have any defects that would be costly to repair, what repairs the home needs, and that the home is safe to live in.
Authored by Petra Norris
Managing Broker - CDV TransAtlantic, Inc.
(863) 619-6918
