What Laguna Home Buyers Need to Know About the Home Inspections? - Home inspections are a critical part of the home buying and selling process. Knowledge in the field of property inspection has become invaluable. This article will assist you in understanding the home inspection process and working with home inspectors.
What Laguna Home Buyers Need to Know About the Home Inspections?
By Andy Williams
Jan 21, 2010 - 8:29:14 AM
Home inspections are seldom the most exciting part of a home purchase, but like many things in real estate, it's one of the essentials. Besides the fact that they're required in most Laguna Beach home sales, they also give both buyer and seller the assurance that the home is suitable for sale.
But how do you go about getting a home inspected? It's not as simple as walking through the house and pointing out broken windows. To make sure you get the right results, here's a list of things to keep in mind when getting a Laguna Beach home inspected.
Choosing an inspector
Inspections are usually done by professional inspection companies specializing in local building standards. Basically, what they do is check every aspect of a home to make sure it's fit to live in and meets state regulations for safety and security. It's important to choose an inspector who's qualified for the job and has considerable experience in homes similar to the one you're buying. Your Laguna Beach realtor can usually put you in touch with such companies and help you draft the inspection request.
What to look for
Home inspectors focus on the structural and physical aspects of the home, as opposed to the aesthetics (which are mostly up to you). The inspection contract should contain all the elements that should be looked at, such as the foundation, roofing, walls and ceilings, electrical wiring, plumbing, and insulation. Ask your Laguna Beach realtor for a detailed list so you can cross-check your inspector's reports afterwards.
Inspection vs. appraisal
Many buyers confuse home inspection with the appraisal process, thinking it's redundant to get a Laguna Beach home inspected twice. The difference is that that the appraisal serves mostly the lender's interests, as it determines the home's financial value. The home inspection, on the other hand, protects your interests as the buyer-it's your way of making sure you're getting your money's worth.
Reading your report
Once the inspector has given his report and recommendations, you'll need to talk to the seller to decide who fixes what. Most of the time, this takes a bit of negotiation. The sellers may agree to get everything fixed, make you shoulder everything, split it halfway, or reduce the price in place of some or all of the repairs. Your Laguna Beach realtor can help you decide whether or not to accept the offer and which ones are most beneficial on the long run.
Disclaimer: Dime-Co.Com is an online information article and video article network. All articles, video articles, comments, and other features herein are for informational purposes only and are provided "as is" without warranties, representations or guarantees of any kind. The views and opinions expressed in an article, comments, links or blogs are the author's own, and not necessarily those of dime-co.com's owners. For full disclaimer, please read our TOS.