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You do if you are shopping for a home. A home inspection can help you avoid costly and unpleasant mistakes and provide peace of mind. It will help you identify the house that is right for you, and alert you to potential concerns prior to closing the deal. It also will teach you about your home and its operating systems. |
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You do if you want to sell your house. A pre-marketing home inspection provides the seller with an objective evaluation of the home's condition before the house is put on the market. Consequently, you are provided with guidance in preparing your house for maximum sales appeal. A home inspection not only encourages a faster sale and a better price, it also helps ensure compliance with disclosure requirements. |
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You do if you are a homeowner. Even if you do not intend to sell your home, a thorough inspection of your house and property every four to five years can yield significant returns. First and foremost, a professional inspector can identify conditions that may be present or may lead to safety hazards for family members. Furthermore, periodic inspections can help detect potential problems early, before they become severe and costly. |
This guide has been created to educate consumers looking to fulfill the increasing demand for home inspections across the country; especially as real estate values fluctuate, disclosure requirements intensify, home buyers become more cautious, and litigation against sellers and Realtors climb to unprecedented levels.
As recently as 1980, it was "caveat emptor" or "buyer beware" where fewer than one in ten homes sold were inspected. Today that amount is still only four times greater, but growing rapidly. In past decades, when the services of professional home inspectors were virtually nonexistent, buyers were forced to gamble on hidden problems, unexpected repair costs, and sometimes major disasters. Today's smart consumer demands better information.
A growing number of states and local governments now require full disclosure of a home's condition before a property is sold, and more and more real estate companies include inspection clauses in their purchase agreements. Nevertheless, according to the Federal Trade Commission, after moving into their houses, 42% of home buyers face unexpected repairs costing an average of $500, and more than one in nine are forced to spend over $ 1,000 for repairs.
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Steve Hatfield, Realtor® CENTURY 21 Curran & Christie 25636 Ford Road Dearborn Heights, MI 48127 Office: (313) 274-7200 eMail: |
NOTE! This home inspection guide has been reproduced from the booklet entitled "Home Inspection Guide For Buyers and Sellers". This information was prepared jointly by the American Homeowners Association (AHA) and AmeriSpec, Inc. Authorization to re-print this information on this web site has been granted by AmeriSpec Home Inspection Service (in Plymouth, Michigan). Information and photographs cannot be used, copied or reproduced for use on another web site without permission and/or authorization. All html coding, layout and original graphics are Copyright © 1996 - Steve Hatfield - and may not be used, copied or reproduced on another web site. Steve Hatfield makes no guarantees or warranties as to the information provided herein. A link to AmeriSpec Home Inspection Service in Plymouth, Michigan may be found on this web sites links page under "Detroit Area Links."
Visit Steve's other web site at DearbornHomes.com