Is a Home Inspection Worth the Cost?

Home Inspections, Are They Worth the Hype?

In my expert opinion a Licensed Home Inspector is always worth the money.  Whether it be for peace of mind, to find minor repairs so you can calculate cost, or if it is a major issue that is too difficult for the buyer and seller to rectify.  It's basically a safety net to look out for large ticket issues that are detrimental to a home. 

Many buyers think that an inspection is there to make the seller fix any and all issues found, but that's not the case.  A licensed inspection is there to help you find issues that are hazardous to the home, not to correct cosmetic nonhazardous issues, although he/she will point them out.  Current home hazards are things like electrical issues, plumbing issues, foundation issues, roofing problems and whatever else a licensed inspector deems worthy.

A licensed inspector may call out potential hazards that should be repaired as well, however, there is no way a licensed inspector can guarantee that the potential hazard will become a live hazard.  For instance, a licensed inspector may say, the current roof is at the end of its life expectancy and recommend a new roof be placed on the home, but the current roof is still in good working condition and has never been a problem for the seller.  Should a buyer ask a seller to replace a perfectly working roof based on the possibility of it having an issue in the future? That depends on the buyer. 

Asking for a new roof possible outcome...

1. Seller denies a new roof and the sale falls through,

2. Seller agrees to put on a new roof,

3. Buyer and seller come to an agreement that they will split the cost of a new roof, and finally

4. Seller won't replace it and buyer simply agrees and moves forward to purchase.   

These scenarios are true for any and all repair requests.  There are more options, but these are the most common.  

From me to you, error on the side of caution, if you can win an offer with an inspection in place, I would highly suggest using a licensed Inspector.  If you don't know any, your Realtor should give you a minimum of three options to choose from.  Then you, the buyer, should call and interview each Inspector for the Job picking the one you feel most confident with.