Buying a home is a huge investment and making sure it’s up to par with your expectations is extremely important. If we pay a mechanic to double check our cars, why can’t we pay an expert to double check the homes that we purchase? It does make sense to do this because, although it will cost you a few hundreds, you’ll save thousands of dollars in the future. What are the reasons why a pre-purchase building inspection is important?
When a pre-purchase building inspection is done, you’re able to know the defects of the house as well existence of illegal building practices that can cost you a fortune in the future. A property inspector will examine your house for presence of defects or structural problems. They may be able to identify several structural defects, such as:
1. Water damage
2. Leaks
3. Termite damage
4. Timber decay
5. Moisture in sub-floor
6. Poor brickwork
7. Cracks in walls
8. Roof and floor defects
But remember that it’s not only limited to these. There are other structural defects out there that a property inspector can identify. In addition to these, he or she may be able to identify illegal building practices.
Other reputable companies will even offer pest inspections that identify presence of ugly and horrible-looking cockroaches, mice, termites and wasps. Did you know that these pests have the ability to damage houses before you even realized their presence? And since it always is hard to notice them, an expert can help you do this.
These property inspection companies have the appropriate gadgets and equipments that will help them identify these damages. Examples of these are:
1. Moisture meters
2. Listening devices
3. Thermal cameras
Between the three, the latter is more capable at identifying termite infestations. It recognizes the presence of termites through presence of higher temperatures in certain parts of the property.
A property inspection is a must prior to buying a property. Never sign anything prior to an inspection. Don’t think about the cost that you have to shell out rather the savings that you will enjoy once all these damages have been clearly identified by the inspector. You know why? You can actually ask for the price of the property to be lowered than the selling price due to the presence of these damages. Not only that, the information that your inspector gathers can also be used when settling unpleasant disputes between neighbors and buyers and sellers.
After the inspection, expect a detailed report of their activity. From this report you will understand the damages discovered inside the house including the approximate repair costs. The report may also include photos of these damages.