Understanding the Importance of Home Inspections

Buying a new home can be a thrilling experience, especially for first-time home-buyers. The home buying process can be long and complex. Home buyers can expect numerous steps between them and their dream home – finding a realtor, viewing properties, making an offer, creating a contract, and eventually closing and moving into the new home. With the amount of time, energy, and money invested in finding a new home, it can be especially important for home buyers to get a home inspection to uncover any potential issues with the home that many not be visible upon first glance.

Monetary Considerations

According to HGTV, a home inspection can help identify a number of flaws with a home, including damage to the foundation, damage to walls, faulty roofing, and drainage issues that could potentially lead to water damage. A home inspection can also help to identify certain types of electrical problems and infestation by pests, such as termites.

In addition to identifying current problems with a home, a home inspection will help to identify potential problems or the need for future repairs, which can be important when a buyer is trying to determine how much money will need to be invested in a home both at closing and over time. It is important for the buyer to be aware of potential issues or the need for future repairs, which may help a buyer determine the value of the home and may play a role in negotiations over the price of the home.

Depending on the type of deed involved, a home inspection can be crucial. Some deeds, such as quitclaim deeds, essentially result in the buyer purchasing a home “as-is” – meaning that if the buyer purchases the home while unaware of a particular defect, the buyer will have difficulty later on if trying to seek compensation or damages from the seller. It is in the buyer’s best interest to know as much as possible about the property before making the purchase.

Limitations of Home Inspections

While home inspections can be crucial to identifying problems with a property, they don’t always catch everything home buyers may want to know. The National Association of Certified Home Inspectors has identified a number of limitations on home inspections. Because home inspections generally identify problems that are visible to the home inspector, they will not always discover latent issues that exist inside walls – such as mold or faulty wiring.

Additionally, other testing may be needed to discover certain issues with a home. Specialist inspections and laboratory testing may be needed to identify lead paint, asbestos, mold, or other environmental hazards. Similarly, testing may be needed to identify the presence of harmful chemicals or residue in homes that were previously involved in the manufacture or use of methamphetamine. According to NPR, homes that have been contaminated due to prior methamphetamine involvement can lead to health risks, and it is is possible that there are thousands of homes on the market throughout the country that were once involved in the production of methamphetamine that have not been cleared by a qualified test or inspector.

If you or a loved one is considering purchasing a home, contact Carnal & Mansfield, P.A in St. Petersburg. Our attorneys can help guide you through the home-buying process, and will work with you to ensure that your legal rights are protected in the event of a potential defect.