If you are going to purchase your home then it is a thrilling experience and you will remember it for your lifetime. However, the house purchase process goes through several important phases and the first of them involves home inspection. As you can figure out, home inspection is an important part of this whole buying process and you need to be aware of it to make a better house purchase decision.
Why home inspection is so important?
First of all a home inspection will tell you what condition the house is in. In case the home inspection reveals major flaws in the house then you are in a better position to discuss price reduction with your seller.
In addition to it you will be able to make the house owner correct those problems before it is sold. In home inspection problems causing health hazards can also be traced and thus such inspection will make sure your family’s health does not get affected.
What questions should you ask?
During home inspection you should be present there and ask as many questions as you feel like to home inspector. You will find that the home inspector will be more than happy to respond to all your queries. Few such questions that are important to ask are as follows:
Inquire about condition of drainage system in and around the house and if knob/tube/aluminum wiring is utilized since such wiring normally exists in old houses and often creates problems in approval of home insurance.You can also ask about methods by which you can keep the basement dry, ways to rectify exterior problems and what are the things you can do to enhance roofing’s lifespan.Ask about condition of plumbing in the house, in case clean out cap for the sewer is new then you will know that there is some kind of problem and you should inquire about it from home inspector. Additionally, you should get information related to age of sewer pipes as well as plumbing supplies.Lastly, raise queries with regards to the structural design of house as well as the type of heating system which is presently installed in the house.
Benefits of Home Inspection
The main benefit of home inspection is that it can help you find problems in the house such as:
Wasping or broken edges which indicate that asphalt shingles have deteriorated.Bulging or leaning of outside walls.Roof sagging in between rafters and trusses.No grounding for electrical outlets.At downspouts the gutters have no downward sloping.De-laminated condition wooden roof (deck) close to where shingles row ends.Broker masonry cap in chimney.Corrosion in water pipes.Flaking masonry in decks/porches.Too much extension of downspouts from foundations.Basement having water penetration identified from stains or loose tiles.Bowing foundations with effluorescence marks.Kitchens/bathrooms with rotting/staining under counter tops.Walls with drywall seams.
Conclusion
To conclude we can say that if you keep note of the abovementioned problems & get all the necessary details from home inspector, you will be sure that you are paying the right price for the house and no problems will occur in future.