You always need a home inspection before buying a house.
No matter how old, how new, or how renovated the house is, you should never buy it without an inspection first.
There is no such thing as the perfect house. Every home has issues that need to be addressed now.
Even the current home owner or the builder won’t know all the underlying issues uncovered during a home inspection.
A home owner isn’t typically crawling to the back corner of their crawlspace to inspect for a plumbing leak – and a builder isn’t always looking over the shoulders of his sub-contractors making sure they don’t miss a step during the new construction process.
During a home inspection performed by Lookout Inspections home inspector Edwin Bear, everything will be inspected at the property. For a Chattanooga home inspection, or for one in the surrounding areas, if there is a Supra lock box present – and there usually is – Edwin Bear has access to these lock boxes, so your realtor does not need to unlock the home. The inspection takes about three hours to complete. At the end of the inspection, a summary of the main issues will be reviewed if the buyer is present.
A detailed report will typically be sent to the buyer within 24 hours after the completion of the inspection. It will include sections for the roof, exterior, foundation, attic, garage/carport, interior, kitchen, bathroom(s), HVAC, electric, plumbing, and pool.
The report will usually consist of 30-40 pages with all aspects of the property covered throughout the report, including photographs and commentary. The main issues that need to be addressed now will be summarized on the last few pages of the report. This helps separate the issues that need repairs immediately compared to the minor issues from normal wear and tear.
The issues on the summary page(s) are what the buyer should speak with the seller about addressing prior to purchase. This is used as a negotiating tool for the buyer to either have the seller hire contractors to make the repairs, or for the seller to give the buyer an allowance to make the repairs.
Home inspectors are in the business of saving you thousands of dollars during a time when you are making one of the biggest investments in your life. Lookout Inspections’ motto is “Looking out for you and your home investment.”
Remember, when buying a house you always need a home inspection. And the same goes for commercial buildings.