Home Inspections

Why Have a Home Inspection?

Buying a home is probably one of the biggest if not THE biggest investment you will ever make. Make sure you have the home inspected prior to closing to alleviate several fears, prepare for the future and negotiate for better terms.

KNOW YOUR INVESTMENT

Because this is the biggest invesment you will probably ever make, it only makes sense to know all you can about it. Get a professional inspection and accompany the inspector through the home and property learning as much as you can about it. Not knowing about your home can cost you some serious cash in the future not to mention anxiety.

PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE

Knowing your home inside and out can really help plan for the future. If you know you are going to be in the home for several years and that a furnace upgrade is needed, you will know that you need to start saving a certain amount for it now to be ready when the time comes. This is also true if you are selling in a few years. If the roof only has about 5 years left on it and you are selling it in about 5 years, the buyers at that time may want you to replace the roof. These are all things to consider when buying and inspecting your Durango real estate.

NEGOTIATE FOR BETTER TERMS

Now knowing what you do about the house you may want to counter offer the inspection contingency with some better terms. One good rule of thumb for buyers, "If you ask for everything, you may get nothing". Sellers are attached to their homes and the thought of a buyer coming in and critiquing everything about the home is not a pleasant emotion. Try to figure out the deal breakers of a home and what are some safety issues that must be addressed. Don't let a missing light switch cover kill the deal but if there are some serious safety issues, those can be negotiated. There are several ways to go about asking for help. You can ask for the repairs directly, you can ask for money off the sale of the home so you can fix them yourself or you can negotiate for a balance between the two.

HAVE THE EXTRA INSPECTION IF RECOMMENDED

Most inspectors know a little about everything. Not every inspector knows it all so if there is a more detailed inspection recommended, you might consider taking them up on it. It may cost you more but consider if having an additional $400 inspection on the septic system just to find out it will cost $12,000 to replace is well worth it!

DO A FINAL WALK-THROUGH

So many times buyers simply trust that everything was completed then when they move in, find that the work was shotty or not done at all. Have a final walkthrough a couple days before closing to make sure all the requirements were completed to your satisfaction.

For more tips and information on buying Durango homes contact our office today!