Buying a Home? Avoid These Home Inspection Mistakes

Attending open houses, finding a place you love, making offers, negotiating; the list goes on and on. And unfortunately many homebuyers think that’s the end of the home buying process. However, they’re leaving out something important and possibly game changing — the home inspection.

A home inspection is a vital part of the purchasing process, and buyers would be wise NOT to rush or skip it. To make sure you get the most out of your search for your dream home, we’re going to give you some important tips for a successful home inspection.

Before diving into what you should look out for, you may be wondering why you even need an inspection?

Your home is a huge investment. An inspection is a formal assessment of your potential home’s condition and will help you identify possible pain points, as well as an idea of how to maintain it in the years to come.

Don’t Make These Five Mistakes When Buying a Home

1. Choosing any inspector

Sure, taking recommendations from your friends or coworkers is a good start, but doesn’t exempt you from doing your due diligence. Learn about your options and have a few questions ready before making a decision.

Some great questions include:

• How long have you been in business?
• What certifications do you hold?
• How many inspections have you completed?
• Do you have a background in building, contracting, or other construction-related business?

At Chicago Building Inspection we have been providing inspections since 2007. Learn more about our team here!

2. Skipping the inspection

It’s in your best interest to make the rounds with your inspector, rather than checking your email or texting.

When you walk through (while respecting your inspector’s space and work), you can learn more about your home and ask questions.

3. Getting too involved

On the other hand, it’s possible to be overbearing, in which case you might end up distracting your inspector from performing their best job.

Make sure if you attend, you find the right balance.

4. Ditching the report

Once the inspection is over, your inspector will prepare a thorough report. If you get rid of it, you’re doing yourself an injustice.

The report will be chock full of vital info regarding your home’s strengths and weaknesses. If you don’t look through the report, you’re basically tossing money out the window.

You can see a few sample reports here.

5. Overreacting

There’s no way to have a “perfect” inspection report, since every single home will have positive attributes as well as deficiencies.

A majority of the time, the flaws listed are minor and quite common. So before panicking, take the time to ask your inspector detailed questions to get a better grasp of what’s going on in the home.

Use these tips to make smart home purchasing decisions and get the most out of your home inspection.

Are you currently searching for a home to buy?

Or, are you putting your home up for sale? We even have tips for a seller’s inspection!

You can schedule your inspection easily online with our scheduling tool. Or give us a call at 312-INSPECT.