When you buy a Havasu home, you take on any issues (visible or hidden) that come along with it. Even a newly constructed home may have a problem or two. If you are not ready to take on this responsibility, you might not be ready for homeownership just yet. Performing a home inspection before purchasing a property helps alleviate some concerns. At the very least, it brings potential problems to light. That way you have a better understanding of what you are getting into. But inspections do not cover everything. Let me explain some of the things you need to know about home inspections before you buy your next property.
Home Inspection 101
You Get to Choose
First of all, you get to choose your home inspector. Yes, your Lake Havasu REALTOR® may recommend someone to you. But feel free to perform your own due diligence in finding one yourself. Check their credentials. The National Association of Certified Home Inspectors requires their inspectors to adhere to certain standards. Look for this certification when interviewing them.
Just the Basics
A home inspection report does not cover everything. They look at the condition of a home’s porch, decking, and walkways. They also check the basic functionality of things like faucets, windows, doors, garage doors, etc. But they do not comment on cosmetic fixes. Nor do they perform testing to determine the integrity of a material. However, they may recommend that further inspection/testing be performed by specialists if necessary. For example, while they may notate signs of pest problems (mice, termites, etc.), they do not perform actual testing to look for damage or exterminate them. Instead, they may recommend that you contact a pest control expert to look into it further. It is a good idea to accompany an inspector while they conduct their inspection so that you can ask them any questions that may arise while walking through the home. As a courtesy (and to allow the inspector to conduct a thorough job), save your questions until the end of the inspection.
Who Do Inspectors Work For?
A home inspector works for whichever party pays them. The findings of the report stay between the inspector and their client unless a court order requires them to disclose the information. Therefore, if you pay for the inspection, it becomes your property. As a buyer, you may be able to use this report to negotiate repair/replacement costs into the sale price of the home.
Accountability
Finally, home inspectors are not held accountable for the condition of the home. That falls on either the builder or the seller. If an issue arises that did not come up on the home inspection report, the most you might be able to recuperate from the inspection company is the cost of the report itself. And that is usually only a couple hundred dollars.
Visit any of my Lake Havasu real estate sites below for more information on the Havasu market: