SHOULD I HIRE AN INSPECTOR?
Whenever a client asks this, the answer is always an emphatic “Yes”.
But seriously, consider the reality: You’re buying a home. You have no idea what’s behind the drywall, what the concealed structural elements look like or what’s tucked away in the back corners of the attic.
Enter the potential threats to your loved ones and investment:
I started working in my family’s construction and renovation company at a young age and I can tell you with certainty that the vast majority of serious issues do not present themselves as something glaringly obvious like a massive, jagged crack or wood rot.
In order above: Polybutylene pipes, the classic slowly dripping fitting, Knob & Tube wiring, recalled electrical panels and breakers, aluminum wiring, decks not built to code, asbestos tile flooring and improper roof flashing.
That’s just to name a handful of potential issues you could encounter. That’s to say nothing of radon, foundations and improper framing, termites, shingle damage and anything else.
Home Owners
North Carolina is a Caveat Emptor state. You, as a homeowner, are allowed to check “No Representation” on your Residential Property Disclosure form (are you tired of links yet?). But ask yourself this: what happens when your buyer enters the Due Diligence period, hires an inspector and finds all of the problems you didn’t even know about? Now you’re going to have to either offer concessions ($$$) or hire a guy to fix it ($$$$). By preemptively hiring a home inspector, we can identify all of these potential issues and address them prior to putting your home on the market to make the selling process even smoother. In a seller’s market you may not have as much of a challenge, after all buyers are competing in the market for the housing that’s supplied. But not so in a buyer’s market. Markets fluctuate, and it’s worth it to know what you’re getting into
More importantly, as a homeowner you know that issues that aren’t addressed early on can have bigger impacts later. Hiring a home inspector every two years might not be a bad idea to keep things in working order. I do it myself. There’s not going to be a lot of surprises in store when I decide to sell in a few years
New Construction
I’ve seen a lot of things over the years in new construction. Some people might say “oh they just don’t make em like they used to”. The entire sentiment is nonsense and simply not the case with advancements in materials sciences and modern building materials.
Survivorship bias in old housing is real and, the same now as then, you most certainly get what you pay for.
Do you see any difference between these two images? Because I don’t.
New construction needs inspections the same as anything else. A builder may tell you otherwise but you can bet your hat you’re going to, at the very least, sleep a lot better the night before you sit at the closing table knowing that you’ve had a licensed inspector go over the home with a fine tooth comb and know what you’re dealing with.
I’ve seen new construction that was absolutely substandard in terms of quality and execution. I’ve seen new construction that was incredibly well executed, above and beyond building code and a marvel of the craft.
And you will not inherently know which of the two you might be purchasing without that inspection. Regardless of what warranties cover what thing in the home and what the builder says. You have a great deal more leverage before closing than you do after closing if something needs to be addressed.
TLDR; Hire an Inspector
Quality construction, code compliance and proper maintenance is something I’m passionate about and something I demand for all of my clients. It greatly enhances the quality of life of a home’s inhabitants and enables them to experience the best possible outcome — all while building equity that can be handed down to future generations or loved ones. It’s worth the small price to pay to ensure that your investment holds up for generations to come.
