Buying a house is one of the biggest decisions you may ever make, and it’s always a thrill to go through the process. But there are ups and downs on the road to homeownership and sometimes things can get a bit overwhelming. My purpose here in the Hudson Valley is to guide homebuyers and sellers through the process.
The house you want to buy might seem like the perfect home, but upon further inspection, hiding underneath that dream home could be potentially serious defects that can make your future investment a costly one.
That’s why I recommend buyers hire a home inspector before signing contracts. Most people get the general idea of know the inspector’s job—taking a thorough look at the house and finding out if anything is wrong with it—but there is so much more detailed to a home inspection.
Home inspectors in New York State are required to have a license and continued education is required. A licensed home inspector will do a complete physical inspection of the entire structure and systems of your prospective home. You may love how beautiful the home appears, your inspector can tell if the home itself has hidden defects.
A typical inspector’s report will cover the condition of the home’s heating system; central air conditioning system (temperature permitting); interior plumbing and electrical systems; the roof, attic and visible insulation; walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors; and the foundation, basement and structural components.
The inspector is an objective voice that will determine not only the condition of the home, but will also provide details of any immediate or future risks based on what’s in the report. Those are future costs you will need to consider.
A complete inspection will list the positive and negative aspects of the house, as well as the maintenance that will be necessary to keep it in good shape. Once an inspection is over, you will have a much clearer understanding of the property value and what it needs in terms of repairs and maintenance. At this time you can share portions of the inspection with the seller if defects were found to discuss what you would like to do about the defects in the way of asking the current owner to do repairs or if you would like a discount to do the work.
In the Hudson Valley, we typically have an inspection period of 7-10 days after an offer is accepted when the buyer is allowed to to any and all inspections before into contract signing. A big step in the process is hiring an inspector to look over the good, the bad and the ugly of what your new home offers.
Do you need a real estate consultant that can help you understand the process of a real estate transaction? I am happy to help you along the way.
Barbara Carter
Real Estate Associate Broker
Century 21 Alliance Realty Group
203 Main St
New Paltz NY 12561
Primary Phone: (845) 505-3160
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