Home inspections play a big role in making sure that a home is safe and secure to live in. In case you’re buying a new home or you just want to know how to keep your home in the best shape possible, let’s take a look at 5 reasons why you should consider regular home inspections.
1. Better Negotiations
When you buy a home, part of your right as the buyer is the right to have an inspection done by a professional. These inspections serve to not only make sure the home is safe to live in, but to alert you of any potential problems that might occur as a result of various different potentially dangerous situations within the home.
For example, if the inspector finds a bunch of issues within the home, you can request that the asking price be lowered. Also, if you change your mind on the home for any other reason, the inspection gives you an automatic, valid excuse to back out of the sale without incurring any penalties.
2. Ensure New Renovations are Safe
Kitchen remodels are one of the most popular renovations out there. But, because they often involve electrical work or other major changes, a kitchen renovation is one example of a project that requires an inspection to be performed after it’s completed.
Not fixing any problems that pop up during inspection could negate your homeowner’s insurance should a disaster occur. It could even get you in legal trouble if you performed the renovation yourself instead of hiring a home contractor.
3. Prevent Problems Before They Arise
Even if you haven’t undertaken any major renovations within your home, issues can still develop over time. Weather and other elements can wear away at certain areas of your home like the roof, for example. If you don’t want to end up having to pay for an entire wood shake roof replacement, home inspections every few years or so can come in handy.
A home inspector can check out your roof and look to see if there are any gaps or holes in the polyiso exterior wall insulation or damaged shingles. Water can get through these gaps and leak into your attic, causing mold and compromising the air quality of your home. You can also catch a termite infestation or other insect-related problem before it gets too big by utilizing a home inspector.
4. It’s a Wise Investment
The average home inspection costs about $300, with specialized HVAC or radon inspections costing a bit more. The cost of these inspections is nothing compared to the cost of having to replace an entire area of your home or paying exorbitant energy bills because of leaks and gaps in your insulation, though.
5. Stay Safe
Inspecting for things like radon gas, carbon monoxide, mold, and other often unseen dangers can keep you safe in the long term. In the mid to upper US, for example, 1 in 14 homes is afflicted by dangerous levels of radon gas that permeates the soil and gets into homes via cracks as well as the water supply.
Radon gas is the 2nd leading cause of lung cancer and cannot be detected with the senses. Inspecting for these unseen dangers could prevent you from major health issues.
Regular Home Inspections are a Wise Investment for Everyone
Not only will having regular home inspections keep you from having to spend a lot of money on maintenance and replacement of materials, but they can also sniff out potentially dangerous situations and keep you and your family from suffering major catastrophes. They cost relatively little but could end up saving you tons of money, or even your life.