If you’re buying a home, a qualified, experienced, very thorough home inspector can be your “best friend.”

No, this doesn’t mean that you will become BFFs.  It means that your home inspector can help you to avoid making a terrible buying decision or identify safety issues that will need to be addressed before you purchase the home.  And in some cases, your home inspector can provide you with negotiating leverage to save money.

What if your home inspector identifies a number of safety or structural issues that could cost you tens of thousands of dollars in repairs? These issues could result in years of aggravation for you, the new homeowner!  Depending on how your sales contract is written, an inspection report detailing these issues may allow you to void the contract and have your deposit returned.

After all, you will want to be purchasing your dream home, not a nightmare of repairs and unforeseen expenses!

What if there is a major safety issue with the gas furnace in the home that will need to be addressed immediately?  A qualified, experienced, thorough home inspector can identify this issue and potentially even save lives.

What if the home inspector finds a few issues that will need to be addressed immediately or in the coming months?  A home inspector’s expertise and thorough inspection report may provide you, the buyer, with leverage to negotiate a lower purchase price or to negotiate with the seller to pay for at least part of the cost of these repairs.

And even if you have your home appraised, you will still want a home inspection for all of the above reasons! As we’ve discussed in a previous blog, an appraisal and a home inspection are two entirely different services needed by home buyers.

Choose your home inspector carefully.  You will want him or her to look out for your interests when you’re purchasing a home.