Home Inspections

If you asked a real estate professional for one piece of advice while you were shopping for your retirement home, odds are they would say something like: "never buy a home without getting a home inspection!" Some sellers will try to convince you that since you're elderly and therefore will not need the home for as long as a younger person, you can get away with buying one that's not in great shape. But this is not only untrue, it's dangerous.

Home inspections are not required by law when you are buying a home but it is highly recommended that you make your offer of purchase contingent on a home inspection. Orlando homeowners, for example, who will not agree to a home inspection or who offer you a better deal if you will dispense with the necessity of a home inspection are obviously trying to hide some fatal flaw about their home. This is a clue that you should walk away from the deal and never look back.

The home inspection is typically done after you have made an offer on the home and it has been accepted by the seller. You do not need a home inspector to tell you if you like the house and want to buy it. You do, however, need one to tell you what kind of shape the home is in and whether it's safe to live in. Your home inspector will do a thorough inspection of the property - one that takes up to five or six hours - and come back with a report on the condition of the home.

If your home inspector in Calgary has come back with a report that says the roof will need replacing in five years and that there's a malfunctioning outlet in the garage, should you walk away from the deal? That's up to you. Most homes have some problems, but only those that are dangerous to you or that will be costly to fix (such as moisture problems) should be deal breakers. Other small flaws can be used to leverage a price reduction out of the seller.

So how much will it cost to get a home inspector in Prague to give you this piece of mind? It depends on the inspector. A quality inspector who is certified as a National Home Inspector might charge you $100 per hour for the inspection while a cut rate inspector (no certification is required to work as an inspector) might charge you a flat rate of $200. As always, if you want quality work you must pay good money.

Did you hire a home inspector only to find months after moving in that there are major structural problems with the property? Now is not the time to find out about the home inspection guarantee! Make sure you ask up front if your inspector guarantees his or her work.