A smart move to make when buying a home is making the sale contingent upon passing a home inspection. When you do this, you will protect yourself against major problems if they are detected in the home inspection. When you receive the report back from the inspector, here are several key things to pay attention to.
Signs of water damage
Although a home inspection is typically very thorough, there are things an inspector might miss or not see. Things like this are often things that are hidden in the home, such as water damage. Water damage is not always visible. While the inspector might see signs of it, it can be hard to tell the extent of it.
If the report shows that there are signs that water damage took place in the home you want to buy, you might want to examine this issue further. Water damage that occurs inside the walls can damage the structure of a home. Water damage can also create mold in a home, but the mold might not be visible to your eyes. You may need to hire a mold remediation company to find out if there is mold, and to unveil the extent of the mold.
Cracks in the drywall
If the inspection reveals cracks in the drywall of a home, it can mean several things. The first thing cracks can mean is settling. Every house settles over time, and cracks will occur when this happens. If the cracks in the drywall are major cracks, it can also represent issues with the home's foundation. Fixing foundation problems can be costly and hard to do, and this is something you would want to know before buying the house.
Missing shingles
A home inspection also includes information about the roof on the home. If the inspection reveals that the roof is in good shape overall but is missing a few shingles, you may benefit from hiring a roof company to inspect the roof to find out for sure how much work it will need. Shingles can blow off from strong winds, but missing shingles are not a good thing to find on a house. Getting a roof inspection from a roofing company would be a good move to make if you find this information on the home inspection.
Getting a home inspection is a great idea when buying any home for sale. If you have further questions about this, talk to a real estate agent today.