The best possible way to experience peace of mind - translated "Honey, I can sleep tonight" - when purchasing a house is to employ the services of a qualified, well trained home inspector. A competent inspector will make sure the house's structure and systems which include, but are not limited to, the roof, heating, plumbing, electrical and air conditioning systems, are in good condition. An inspector will also offer to check for mold and radon. You should expect to pay an additional fee for these two services, especially a radon test.
Now, for my true story: It has been a while now, but sometime back, I accompanied my purchasers on their home inspection, which I always do. This particular house appeared on the surface to be in really good condition. In fact, some questions arose as to why would my buyers even need a home inspection on this property? As always, I insisted just as much as I possibly could. My statement that I've always used is, "Everybody, including Realtors, needs a Home Inspection."
When the inspector, at the very end of the sale wrote his summary and then explained it, we were all stunned to find out there were some major issues, most of them not visible to the naked eye. Without the inspection, for sure my purchasers would have bought the home only to be very unpleasantly surprised after moving in. The surprise would have cost them a considerable amount of money to correct. Moreover, with one of the issues that needed correction, my purchasers could have been set up for a potential fire. By the way, they chose to walk away from this house and purchase another.
Know that a typical home inspection should cost somewhere around $250 to $600 and sometimes even more depending on the size of the house. This is a relatively small amount when you consider the thousands you could lose by not hiring an inspector. When you are preparing your offer to lock in the deal, make sure your Real Estate agent clearly states that the terms of the purchase are contingent on the approval of a professional home inspector chosen only by you, the buyer. Also request the seller NOT be present at the time of the inspection.
Finally, if the seller has fixed anything at all that was noted during the inspection; make sure you get the receipt! This way you will know the repairs in question were performed by a qualified, licensed technician.
David L. Burrows, Realtor®
Envirian of Warrenton
Warrenton, Virginia 20186
Phone: 703.391.9200 x9119
Burrows Properties
A Burrows' Thought For The Moment: Before making a phone call to secure a loan for a new house, check your Credit Score Online so that you will have NO surprises.
Interested in Some Great Reading on selling your home? Take a look at these reports on my website: BurrowsProperties.Com Seller Reports
Seller Guidance: I would encourage you to employ a Realtor®® to help you sell your home. When your agent or another agent is showing your house, go away and let them do your work for you. I also urge you to utilize my FREE SELLERS TOOLKIT before selling your house.
Buyer Guidance: I would encourage you to really check out anything and everything you are told by a well meaning seller. Employ the services of a Buyer's Agent to help you discern what you read and listen to about the area you are thinking of calling home. I would also urge you to get my FREE BUYERS TOOLKIT before heading out on the journey to find your new house.
Try this powerful link to help you find your next home: Fairfax Homes For Sale
The search engine on my site will allow you to find a house by Mapping, County, Subdivision, Zip Code, Address or City. I encourage you to try the Fairfax MLS and in fact, search the entire Northern VA Real Estate area.
Northern Virginia Information - Here you will find answers to your questions about schools, auto registration, taxes, things to do this weekend, popular destinations. It only takes a moment to look and it is free with no registration required!
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