Buyers Inspection Advisory: Check Before Buying A Home

So, you’ve made up your mind about buying property. Indeed, you’ve even selected the property and shared your initial offer with the seller.

Great!

Now, while you’re waiting for the seller to accept your offer or negotiating on the table, you might want to inspect the property a little more. Of course, it would help you reassure your request and put you in a better position to negotiate.

So, what should you be looking for in the property to strengthen your case?

Keep reading and fetch all the answers for yourself.

Walk Through The Structure

First things first, you’ll need to inspect the structure for any defects. Your agent would have provided you with a preliminary inspection report. Use it to reassure that there are no additional damages.

When inspecting the structure, you should look for signs of water leakage in bathrooms and the kitchen. If the property has an outdoor space, make sure to look for signs of an unsafe deck, such as protruding or rusting fasteners, rotting or cracked wood, etc.

Try to walk through each nook and corner of the property, inspect external and interior wall conditions, and more.

Inspect Fixtures And Installations

If your property has fixtures and installations that the seller offers within the package, make sure you inspect them.

For example, if microwave, refrigerator, and air conditioners are included in the sale, make sure you check their maintenance records and look for any signs of damage.

You should also be looking for wiring and hook-up connections for the appliances. The idea is to evaluate the value of these inclusions and know if you’re paying the right price for the property.

If there are any signs that the electric appliances or infrastructure isn’t working as it should be, don’t be too quick to DIY a fix. Instead, look for a local electrician that can get to the bottom of the problem safely. The electronics of the home can be dangerous to try and fix alone, after all.

Look For Signs Of Infestation Damage

Typically, the seller’s listing agents share a preliminary pest and infestation report along with the property disclosures.

However, the reports can sometimes date back as far as 1 year. Your agent might advise you to get a fresh inspection for pests and termites in such a situation.

We recommend you mention this in your offer letter or while negotiating the price. If any damage or infestation comes up, you can ask the seller to waive the sale price or get done with the treatment before taking possession.

Don’t Ignore The Floor And Roof

Last but not least, you should thoroughly check floor and roof conditions. Indeed, it is even more critical to get these inspections done if the property has wooden flooring and shingle-type roofing.

Since the seller would have typically mentioned any damages they are aware of in the initial disclosures, you can refer to it. In other words, you need to know if the conditions are the same as the seller has disclosed on paper.

If you happen to find any discrepancies, you can expect to get a signed waiver on the purchase price from the seller. Meaning, you can have the upper hand on the negotiating table.

The Bottomline

Buying a home is a significant investment both personally and financially. And you wouldn’t want to miss out on any opportunity to make your investment as valuable for money as possible.