Most homebuyers pay for a professional home inspector to thoroughly scrutinize the home they want to buy.
If you don't accompany the inspector as he or she makes the rounds, you'll miss out on the best opportunity to learn where the mechanical systems are located, how they work, and what you need to do to keep them running.
Many homebuyers show up at the end of a home inspection just to receive the report. But wouldn't you rather know that you need to re-caulk your windows to block the moisture? And to learn that the grading isn't steep enough to keep water running away from your foundation?
A skilled inspector should look at everything inside, including the attic, basement and crawl space, and should walk completely around the exterior and up on the roof. He or she may even look at outbuildings on the project.
Tag along. It may be the most useful hours you spend around your home.
Ilyce Glink is the bestselling author of 100 Questions Every First Time Home Buyer Should Ask, and is the Managing Editor of Right at Home Daily.
Doing Your Final Walk-Through
Do you know what to check on your final walk-through of the property you're about to buy? Barbara Buchholz explains the purpose of your final walk-through, what to look for, and what to keep in mind.
Unless you've recently won the lottery, it's likely you'll
be getting a loan to pay for your new home. Here's
everything you need to know to get your application
approved. From Margaret Crane, contributor to
Newsweek, The New York Times and Money magazine
and author of Successful Homebuilding and Remodeling:
Real-Life Advice on Getting the House You Want without
the Roof (or Sky) Falling In.
There's little chance you'll have a successful closing
unless all of the details are in place. Here's some
information to help you get from offer to closing without
missing a beat. From Barbara Buchholz, former editor of
House & Garden Guides Magazine and co-author of Porch
Style and the New Homeowner's Handbook.
For most, making an offer for a home is the most
stressful part of the process. The information you'll find
here will help you figure out everything from how much a
piece of real estate is worth to how to win a bidding war.
From Margaret Crane, contributor to Newsweek, The
New York Times and Money magazine and author of
Successful Homebuilding and Remodeling: Real-Life
Advice on Getting the House You Want without the Roof (or
Sky) Falling In.
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