How to Sell Your Condo and Buy a House: HOME INSPECTIONS
When you bought your condo, you probably did not get a home inspection, however, when buying a house, especially your first house, a home inspection should be a top priority.
This is one of several videos in my series about “How to Sell Your Condo and Buy a House“. Check out my Youtube Channel for the entire series.
A home inspection typically takes about 3-4 hours, and costs between $300-$500.
There are two main reasons why you should get a home inspection:
First, it can protect you from buying the wrong house. A home inspection most importantly points out the flaws in any house and tells you approximately how much you need to spend to fix them. This can help you avoid a costly mistake.
The second and often overlooked reason for getting a home inspection is that a home inspection is like a crash course in home ownership. Going through the property that will soon be your home with a qualified and professional home inspector is a must-have educational experience about how to care for and maintain a house.
Over the years of helping my clients buy houses, I’ve worked with some great home inspectors and some not so great home inspectors. How do you know who is a good home inspector?
1) the more experienced the better
2) ask around and get someone who is highly recommended
3) while not necessary to be a good inspector, I’ve found that those inspectors who are also professional engineers tend to be the most knowledgeable and thorough.
What often separates the good inspectors from the not so good is a willingness to go the extra mile. Many inspectors will find excuses to not inspect certain aspects of a house, but the best ones will do whatever it takes to get the job done. For example, one client recently purchased a house that was a particularly tall house. The inspector wanted to inspect the roof but his ladder did not reach. This inspector voluntarily offered to go to home depot and rent a longer ladder on his own time to go up and inspect to roof! My clients were very impressed!
If you are thinking about selling your condo and buying a house this year, I’d love to help. For more information contact me.
