|
Whether you are buying or selling a home, you should have a professional home inspection performed.
A home inspection will look at the systems that make up the building such as:
- Structural elements, foundation, framing,
- Plumbing systems, water heater, Hot Tub
- Roofs & attics,
- Basement and crawl spaces,
- Walls, floors & ceilings,
- Gutters & drainage,
- Porches & decks,
- Electrical & Air Conditioning systems, lights & receptacles,
- Windows, screens & doors,
- Cosmetic condition, paint, siding etc
If you are buying a home, you need to know exactly what you are getting. A home inspection, performed by a professional home inspector, will reveal hidden problems with the home (if any) so that they may be addressed BEFORE the deal is closed.
In Hawaii, under contingency C-51 of the offer (DROA), the home inspection must be performed within 14 days from the acceptance date of the formal offer. We always recommend to hire a home inspector and that our clients pay close attention to the inspection report. If our clients are not comfortable with what the inspector finds, they should reconsider the deal or even cancel it and they get their earnest monies back.
Likewise, if you are selling a home, you want to know about such potential hidden problems before your house goes on the market. Almost all contracts include the condition that the contract is contingent upon completion of a satisfactory inspection. And most buyers are going to insist that the inspection be done by a professional home inspection, usually by an inspector they hire. If the buyers' inspector finds a problem, it can cause the buyer to get cold feet and the deal can often fall through. At best, surprised problems uncovered by the buyers' inspector will cause delays in closing, and usually you will have to pay for repairs at the last minute, or take a lower price on your home.
It's better to pay for your own inspection before putting your home on the market. Find out about any hidden problems and correct them in advance. Otherwise, you can count on the buyers' inspector finding them, at the worst possible time. |
