Whether you’re considering buying a house in Milwaukee, Mukwonago or Mozambique, it’s incredibly important that you have a qualified, professional home inspector vet the property before you buy.
As a Milwaukee home inspector, I know that many home buyers, especially first-time buyers, underestimate how important it is to have a thorough home inspection. Or, just as bad, they make these common mistakes:
They don’t hire an inspector because the property is new.
Just because a house is new doesn’t mean that it’s perfect. Even new homes can have construction defects that can seriously affect long-term value and mean pricey repairs or reconstruction. This is also where having an inspector who understands home construction and remodeling can help—someone who understands construction standards will recognize shoddy materials and workmanship that might be a problem.
They don’t properly vet inspectors based on real-world experience.
Buying a house is expensive, and few buyers are eager to shell out even more money for a home inspection—especially for a home that looks great at first glance. The problem is that if you choose a residential inspector who doesn’t really know what he’s doing (and, yes, unfortunately, those are the guys who are willing to offer you a flat fee before they even know how large your home is or how old it is) you could end up with a very expensive surprise problem on your hands.
As hard as it is, when you’re looking at inspectors, try to focus on licensing and credentials over pricing. The $100 that you save today could seriouly cost you $10,000 a year later.
They don’t walk along during the inspection.
A qualified house inspector can be an incredible resource for you—but only if you’re there to understand what he sees, ask questions, and listen when he explains his concerns. Homeowners who just read the report and don’t walk along are more likely to miss the real issues with a property (if they exist, of course) while over-estimating the impact of relatively minor ones.
They take the seller’s word for it.
For a number of reasons, some sellers have their properties inspected before they put them on the market (called “pre-purchase inspections” or “seller’s inspections”). A buyer who hopes to save a few hundred dollars may be tempted to trust the seller’s home inspection results and forego their own home inspection. This, in my opinion, is a mistake.
Here’s why:
- The original home inspector could have missed something or just not be a very good inspector.
- The seller could be lying to you or could have altered the report. How would you know?
- Having your own inspection can give you leverage when it comes time to negotiate for your home.
They don’t follow up on their inspector’s recommendations.
If you’ve chosen a good home inspector (and hopefully you have!), then it’s in your best interests to listen to what he or she has to say, especially when it comes to things that could be dangerous, like carbon monoxide leaks or getting a radon test. The entire reason that you hire an inspector is because you understand that they’re going to see problems that you won’t. Unfortunately, they can’t protect you from those problems if you don’t follow their recommendations.
With 20 years of experience building and remodeling homes throughout southeast Wisconsin, I am one of the few Milwaukee home inspectors who can offer you true expertise when it comes to home construction. To learn more about me and my home inspection services, please visit my website: Precision Plus Home Inspections or contact me today.
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