Why You Should Have Your Home Inspected Before You Buy

You’re buying a new home in Cleveland!  Buying a home is an exciting time.  It’s easy to get caught up in finding homes that have all of the features you want – large walk-in closets, a garden tub, a specific number of bedrooms, a large back yard.  While finding a home that has everything you want is important, there are other important factors to consider as well.  A Cleveland home inspection is an essential part of the home buying process.  Here are a few reasons why.

Uncover Potential Issues

Older homes are bound to have a few imperfections here and there, and a home inspection helps to uncover them.  By doing so, you could uncover potentially serious issues, not necessarily visible to the naked eye, that could lead to huge problems down the road, such as old or faulty wiring or plumbing.  Even if you are buying a brand-new Cleveland home, you should still have an inspection done.  Just because it’s newly constructed doesn’t mean it won’t have any issues, and a reputable inspection service in Cleveland, Ohio will help to find them.

Save Money

Home inspections usually cost between $300 and $500.  While this may seem like a lot just looking at it, in the long run, it can be well worth it.  If you skip out on a home inspection before signing the contract, you risk running into serious problems that could cost you thousands.  They may not happen right away, but the small cost of your Cleveland home inspection could save you a huge headache (and a substantial amount of money) by spotting problems before they become, well, problems.

You Can Negotiate the Price

One of the biggest advantages of having a Cleveland home inspection done is that it gives you leverage to negotiate with the seller on the price tag on the house.  This can be particularly helpful in getting a home that you really like that is on the higher end of your spending limit.  You can also add a clause in your contract that allows for you to back out of any agreements if your home inspection turns up any serious complications.

You Can Ask for Repairs

Another alternative to negotiating for a lower price, you can include clauses in your contract that ask the seller to make certain repairs if the home inspection turns up any problems.  Or, if the seller doesn’t want to make those repairs, you can get an estimate for the necessary repairs and ask that the total be taken off of the price of the home.  However, you choose to use the findings of your home inspection, just having one is a valuable tool that can greatly work to your advantage.

Know What You’re Getting Before You Sign

Buying a home is just like buying any other major purchase.  You don’t want to hand over the check until you know exactly what you’re getting.  Quite possibly one of the best reasons for having a home inspection done is so that you know exactly what you’re getting into before you sign the contract.  The more informed you are, the fewer surprises there will be, and the more prepared you will be to take on anything that comes your way. 

While it is exciting, don’t get so caught up in the home buying process and sign the contract without having a home inspection done first.  A reputable home inspection company in Cleveland, Ohio, like Inspections by Keystone, will help you by giving your potential new Cleveland home a thorough inspection, finding any and all potential issues.  With us by your side, we can help you get the home of your dreams and prevent any serious problems down the road.