Most real estate agents strongly suggest that their buyer accompany the home inspector when touring the property. It’s not necessarily required but it can make a world of difference. Think of it this way; would you buy a $300K stock that you knew nothing about? Consider your home or commercial property the same way. It’s important to learn as much as you can about your investment. It really only makes good financial sense.
But not every buyer tours the property with the inspector and there are some serious things to miss.
For one, you can get an inside glimpse into the mind of your inspector and although we are as unbiased as possible, we can offer suggestions and tips along the way that may not be in the report. For instance, you can ask how long a particular appliance or material may last so you can prepare for the replacement down the road.
You might get extra tips and maintenance strategies on certain structures and materials that you wouldn’t have known otherwise.
You can ask if they feel you are getting your money’s worth. Remember, inspectors have no stock in whether or not you purchase the property. We will be honest with you as long as it doesn’t violate our code of ethics or laws. We cannot discriminate but we can tell you if we think the house is overpriced.
You might get more in-depth explanations of issues that will appear on the inspection report. If something seems cryptic on the report you have a better understanding of how to correct it or handle it when you’ve spoken directly to the inspector.
You can ask any question you want! Go ahead! Ask away! You need to know as much as you can about this investment and trust me, there isn’t a question I haven’t heard so ask away!
You’ll get to know the property first hand. More than just a superficial tour of the grounds, an inspection will take you to places you won’t normally go like the basement, crawl space (if you want), attic, septic areas, etc… This is really the best way to thoroughly check out your property.
You’ll “play” with things you may forget about. Home inspectors will check all the outlets, plugs, switches and other operational things that you may or may not even think about. The last thing you want is to flip that switch only to discover it’s not connected to anything.
You’ll learn where emergency shut off valves are. Ask about water shut off valves, gas valves, electricity, furnace and water heater shutoffs are in case of emergencies.
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