Do I Really Need a Home Inspection?

March 2020

The answer is simple….YES!

Bypassing a home inspection in today’s fast moving real estate market may make your offer more appealing to the seller. But, without it, you could get hit with unexpected and expensive problems down the road. Having an unbiased licensed expert evaluate the home is the best way to get an objective and informed opinion about one of your most valuable investments.

A quality home inspection can reveal important information about the condition of the home’s structure (e.g., foundation, roof, etc.), detect unsafe safety levels (e.g., radon, carbon monoxide, mold, etc.), estimate the age of major home systems (e.g., plumbing, HVAC, water heater, etc.), and discover changes made to the home that did follow building codes. This helps the buyer determine costs for repairs and maintenance the home may require immediately, over time, and the type of home insurance coverage or warranties to consider. 

This is also the last opportunity a buyer has to negotiate a price reduction or credit from the seller, or back out of the offer to buy completely. As your dedicated Realtor I can work with you to understand what requests can and should be made to negotiate a better deal.

Buying new construction? A home inspection is just as important here. Your new home may look flawless, but no one is perfect and mistakes can happen. Here is your chance to have it fixed before you move in. This is also a great opportunity to become more familiar with your new home and how things work. 

Finally, it’s important to remember a home inspection will not uncover every problem with the home. Home inspectors don’t have x-ray vision. They will visually inspect readily accessible areas of the home and give you their best guess about what they cannot see. 

When you need a home inspection, I highly recommend contacting Paul Cummins, owner of No Surprises Home Inspection NOVA-DC, LLC. Paul is a retired science teacher with over 30 years of home remodeling experience. He is punctual, reliable, thoughtful, objective, and thorough. He is a member of the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, American Society of Home Inspectors, and a Certified Mold & Radon Tester

www.nosurpriseshomeinspection.com

Phone: 703-472-9020

Email: info@nosurpriseshomeinspection.com