Why You Should Get A Home Inspection

 

As a real estate agent in Petaluma I often get asked why I think a home inspection is so important. This article will help shed some light on that topic by explaining what a home inspection is and why you should get one if you are buying or selling a home in Sonoma County. If you would like additional information about buying or selling your home call me.

What Is A Home Inspection?

A home inspection is basically when a home inspector goes into a home and looks at everything. He/she will turn lights, faucets and other nozzles to test to see if they are worked. It is designed to be fairly non-invasive and will result in a report that the buyer in a real estate transaction can use to make decisions about the property. The inspector is only stating the condition that the home was in at the time of the inspection and does not determine nor guarantee the condition, compliance with building codes, efficiency or life expectancy of any component on the property.

What Makes A Home Inspection Worth Getting?

If you are buying a home here in Santa Rosa then you have probably hooked up with a local Petaluma or Marin agent and you have begun to look at homes for sale. Perhaps you have already found your dream home and you are in the process of making it your own. A home inspection can help you make some very important decisions that could change the course of your transaction. One of the common outcomes of a home inspection is that it will cover a little bit about a lot of different aspects of the home and can often lead to raising some red flags that will help you to know what other inspections you will need to consider. For instance if there is a foul smell in the home noted on the home inspection then you may want to consider getting a mold inspection before you release your inspection contingencies. If your home inspection doesn’t note anything off then you may not want to investigate further.

What If I Am Selling A Home?

If you are listing your home for sale in Sonoma or Marin Counties then you should ask your agent about getting a home inspection. As a seller you are not expected to have a home inspection performed. The responsibility rests on the buyer to complete any and all investigations that they deem necessary before releasing the inspection contingencies. However having said that, if you are unsure of the condition of your home then you may want to have a home inspection performed so you can disclose all of the findings before an offer is submitted on your home. This can be a wonderful tool to prevent a buyer from coming back later and asking for a price reduction or credits based on something they found after they submitted an offer on your home.