When faced with the reality of how expensive it already is to buy a home in Seattle, or anywhere else, it’s common to want to cut corners where possible to save money. This is a natural urge, and one of the more common items to consider cutting from the list of fees is the home inspection. After all, why bother paying someone hundreds of dollars to look around a home that you’re perfectly capable of doing a walkthrough on yourself? In reality, the home inspection is one of the most valuable investments you can make during the process of buying a home, and here are a few key reasons why.

 

  1. Top to Bottom: A typical inspection lasts two or three hours, and costs in the neighborhood of $500. Home inspection often begins at the roof and continues all the way down to the foundation, with several key stops in areas like plumbing, electrical, and heating. Taking in the whole house in one large sweep like this creates a comprehensive list of any and all problems that may need to be addressed before the home is purchased or moved into.
  2. What’s Seen and What’s Not: A home inspector will take a look at many aspects of the house, but there are some things that they will not check, such as inside pipes, the interior of walls, or behind electrical panels. These areas are often best left to specialists, but a good home inspector can usually tell from the exteriors of these areas that there may be a problem in these areas, and offer suggestions on who to contact to take a closer look should that become necessary.
  3. New or Old: Home inspections may seem like a no-brainer for old houses, but what about new constructions? Well, just because a house is new doesn’t mean it’s flawless. A professional home inspector knows not just what to look for in run-down, aged homes, but also what may have gone wrong during a brand-new construction.
  4. Categorizing Issues: A good home inspector won’t just make a list of what’s wrong, but classify the issues as well. This means that they will point out what is an immediate safety hazard, what should be replaced immediately, and what should be monitored but does not need immediate action. Instead of overwhelming you with every issue a potential home has, you will instead come away with something closer to a plan of attack based on the priority of each issue found.
  5. Negotiation Leverage: A full home inspection will provide you with some concrete evidence of what issues your potential purchase has, and you can use these problems in the negotiation phase. You can decide for yourself what is a deal-breaker, what you would like to see fixed before you move in, and what you’re willing to work on yourself after the purchase. The more you know about the home before you purchase, the more room you have to negotiate with the seller for a deal that seems fair on both ends.
  6. Spend Money to Save Money: Sure, a home inspection might cost an additional few hundred dollars up front, but catching small problems before they become big ones can often save you thousands in the long run. Houses are big purchases and big investments, and it pays off to be smart with your money.

 

 

A home inspection is among the most valuable tools you have as a home buyer. With the Seattle buyer’s market as competitive as it is, some sellers may consider a buyer willing to waive the inspection as more promising than the competition. This is a risky strategy, and is ultimately your choice. However, a home inspection is far more often than not a worthwhile investment that can make the coming years of home-ownership smoother than going into a new home blind.Why