For many people, their home will be the greatest investment they ever make. The decision to purchase a home is made with many factors in mind: lifestyle, schools, proximity to workplace, neighborhood, size and style of home, etc. Most people are unable to determine on their own the existence of unknown problems. They are often emotionally attached to the home, so they may overlook certain issues. These problems can cost a significant amount of money that the buyer maybe unprepared to spend.
One of the best ways to understand a home’s condition, habitability and safety is to hire a professional home inspector. A properly trained inspector is unbiased and will review your house as a system, looking at how one component of the house might affect another. Home inspectors will go through the property and perform a visual inspection to assess the condition of the house and all of its systems. They will try to determine the components that are not performing properly as well as items that are beyond their useful life span or are unsafe. They will also try to identify areas where repairs may be needed or where there may have been problems in the past. Inspections are intended to provide the client with a better understanding of property conditions as observed at the time of the inspection, but not to tell you whether or not to buy the property. This type of inspection is your best protection against buying a home needing repair that you may not be able to afford.