Why Home Inspections Are So Important in Real Estate

The results of a home inspection can make or break a real estate deal.

If that isn’t enough confirmation that home inspections are incredibly important during the real estate process, then…keep reading this blog! Whether you’re buying a house (or planning to) – or thinking about a career as a home inspector – let’s examine why home inspections are so important in real estate.

Home Inspections Foster Peace of Mind

When you’re buying a new home, many real estate agents will tell you that skipping a home inspection is a big mistake.

Why?

A home inspection gives you the peace of mind you need to ensure you’re buying a home that’s in good condition. Before you sign the dotted lines of your mortgage loan paperwork, it’s important to know what you’re buying – potential flaws included.

Home inspections performed by qualified (and ideally AHIT-trained!) home inspectors help uncover potential hazards you and your real estate agent might not notice when touring a home. A home inspector’s inspection report can mean the difference between, say:

• Buying a picture-perfect home with an expensive lurking mold issue that will take months to fix, or

• Buying a fixer-upper with great “bones” and zero safety hazards that could put you and your family at risk

Which option sounds better to you? Your home inspection helps you make a more informed choice.

Home Inspections Report the True Condition of a Home

In a real estate transaction, transparency is important.

In most states, as part of a real estate deal’s due diligence period, buyers have the right to get a home inspection for a home on which they’ve made a purchase offer. While it’s one experience to tour a home with your real estate agent and fall in love with the amenities and curb appeal, it’s quite another to tour a home with a home inspector.

When you hire a qualified home inspector, they’ll inspect a home’s major mechanical systems, electrical systems, plumbing, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning), appliances, and other major systems in detail. Inspectors will find any major problems in a home and document them in a fully explanatory home inspection report.

The home inspection report is your primer on the true condition of a home, no matter what the seller, the seller’s agent, the seller disclosures, or even your agent might say. It’s essentially your cheat sheet to the property you’re about to buy.

Home Inspections Fuel Purchase Negotiations & Fair Deals

The home inspection report is also a valuable tool you can use to negotiate a fair deal when you’re buying a home.

Let’s take this scenario, for example:

You’ve submitted a purchase offer on a home. During your due diligence period, your home inspector finds that the house has an older HVAC system in dire need of replacement – and soon. Based on this information, which is documented in the home inspection report, you have the right to negotiate an HVAC replacement (or repair) before the sale moves forward.

In this case, you (with the help of your agent) could ask the seller to repair or replace the HVAC system. Or, as another option, you might ask the seller to reduce your agreed-upon purchase price to help offset your out-of-pocket cost for a new system.

This is just one example of countless types of negotiations that could happen thanks to the results of a comprehensive, objective home inspection report. And only a professional home inspector can provide that report. When you buy a home, you want to know you’re getting a fair deal.

Home Inspections Provide Education For Everyone

Most often, home inspections are ordered during a homebuyer’s due diligence period. But that’s not the only time a home inspection proves valuable.

As the subject matter experts of real estate, home inspectors have invaluable insights on the inner workings of your home. They’ll guide you through your home, offer maintenance tips, and even give you insights on when you can expect to make big-ticket repairs.

Plus, just as a buyer hires a home inspector to inspect a home they want to buy, a seller can do the same for a house they want to sell. This helps them avoid expensive repair surprises during a transaction.

AHIT is Your Resource For Quality Home Inspection Training – and Knowledge

Do you want to learn more about home inspection as a career? Or perhaps you want to learn more about the home inspection process, so you can be better prepared when it’s time to hire a home inspector. No matter what brought you here, AHIT is your resource for home inspection training and knowledge about the industry. Learn more about home inspection on our blog and discover the steps to becoming a home inspector in your state.