First Time Home Buying: 5 Ways to Embrace the Home Inspection Process

Not all states require that a home inspection be performed during the sale of a home. In Arizona, the seller has to provide a Seller Property Disclosure Statement (SPDS) that outlines facts about the condition of the property and reveals any repairs that the seller knows need to be made. The seller has to provide this document within three days of receiving a purchase offer.

The buyer has a 10-day period in which to have the property inspected after making the purchase offer. Some people think they can skip this step to save money and to expedite the closing process. However, we strongly recommend hiring a professional home inspector around Arizona to thoroughly evaluate the property. Here are five things you should think about to embrace the home inspection process and what it can do for you:

Consider the Inspector Your Partner

Some people resist the home inspection process because they consider the inspector just another professional that they have to pay to get through the red tape to close their sale. However, you should really consider the inspector to be your partner in the home-buying process – your much more knowledgeable partner who can give you key insights about the property. The inspector is there to tell you everything there is to know about the property – things that the seller may not know or may not want to tell you.

Learn about Areas of Concern

The most immediate impact that working with a professional home inspector will have is alerting you to areas of concern in the home. You aren’t going to know that the home is riddled with termites just by walking through it yourself. You may not even know that the home has extensive termite damage just by looking at it yourself. And there are many other issues like these that you may not be able to identify yourself.

A professional home inspector knows how to spot the trouble areas in a home and can alert you to any pressing issues. You’ll find out right away if the home needs to be re-wired or has major plumbing problems, among other things.

Learn about Potential Maintenance and Replacement

You walk in the house, and you feel the air conditioner blowing. You turn on the tap, and you get hot water. But what you may not know is that air conditioner is actually 20 years old and the water heater has an issue that lets it only heat water for a couple of minutes.

You’ll find out about these and other things through a professional home inspection. You’ll learn about what items or systems are going to need to be replaced soon, and you’ll learn what items are going to need maintenance or repair. You’ll also find out if you can expect a large, ongoing maintenance bill because there is a faulty system or item in the house.

Get Help Evaluating the Investment

With all the information you get from an inspector about a potential property, you can make a much better decision about the investment you are considering. The value of a property is in more than just its location or how pretty it looks. If the house is going to break down constantly and require a lot of repair, maintenance, and replacement, you are going to lose money. You’ll also have a harder time re-selling the house. Knowing the full condition of the property at the start can help you better evaluate the investment you are considering.

Get Information to Use in the Negotiation

All that information you get from your home inspector can help you in the negotiation. After all, if you find out that you’re going to have to spend thousands of dollars on plumbing – and those issues weren’t disclosed in the listing – you can tell the seller that the price isn’t worth it to you anymore. You can ask to have those repairs made before you move in, or you can negotiate for a lower price.

Some issues discovered in the inspection may not be worth revisiting, but others will be powerful negotiating tools.

Don’t skip the home inspection if you are buying a home in Arizona, whether you are buying it for yourself or as an investment property. There are plenty of qualified home inspectors who can help you get the information you need to make the right buying decision.

In Surprise, ATS Home Inspections offers thorough, fast, and affordable home inspections. Our inspectors are highly trained and experienced, and they can give you a comprehensive understanding of a home’s condition, as well as any potential future concerns. We offer a 12-month structural warranty on our reports. Call us in Surprise today to schedule your property inspection.

ATS Home Inspections LLC
Phone (623) 266-8846
Email: tkolb@atshomeinspectionsllc.com
Website: atshomeinspectionsllc.com