It is a common truism that many people believe they cannot buy a home unless they first see it in person. While there is some wisdom to this advice, it is important not to just rely on your eyes alone. If you do not inspect a house before you commit to buying it, you could find yourself dealing with some serious problems. Here are six reasons to have your home inspected before you buy it:
- Bad wiring or plumbing
- One of the most important reasons to make sure to inspect your home before you buy it is to ensure there are no issues with the wiring or plumbing. Bad electrical and plumbing work can easily go unnoticed by regular people simply because they do not know what to look for. Without an inspection, they will not know if they have bad plumbing or wiring until they move in and are forced to deal with it.
- Issues with mold or drainage
- Another set of issues that can easily fly under the radar are problems with mold or drainage, which are strongly linked. A home with poor drainage may be more prone to flooding, which can become an issue during rainy weather. This, in turn, can make it easier for mold to grow, damaging your home and your personal property where you do not notice it, until it is too late.
- Insect or vermin infestations
- Just because you haven’t seen a mouse or cockroach running across the floor of a home does not mean it doesn’t have a pest problem. Roaches, termites, rats, mice, and other unwelcome guests can make their nests without anyone realizing it for weeks. An inspection can reveal the telltale signs of these nests, giving you an opportunity to address them before you move in.
- Foundation damage
- A house can look beautiful on the outside while being thoroughly damaged when you look behind the paint. Damage to the foundation of a home from previous floods, fires, mold, or vermin infestations can become a serious issue, potentially endangering you and your loved ones. Fortunately, if you inspect the house beforehand, you can typically identify these issues and avoid a worst case scenario.
- Old utilities or fixtures
- Sometimes, the problem is not that something is damaged, but rather that some parts of the home are old enough to present an issue. Boilers, HVAC systems, stoves, and other utilities and fixtures can all present serious issues if they are reaching the end of their lifespans. Fortunately, if you inspect your home before you buy it, you can identify these potential problems and arrange to have them replaced or updated in time for you to move in.
- Potential tax issues or CO issues
- Inspections are not merely for detecting flaws in the structure, however. They can also reveal potential legal issues, which could result in the loss of tax exemptions or problems with the property’s certificate of occupancy. If this happens, you could face higher property taxes, permitting difficulties, and other legal and financial problems you might not know about until it is too late to fix them.
At David J. Lorber & Associates, PLLC, we assist clients throughout New York who are looking to buy or sell real estate. We will guide you through the process and help you minimize your legal and financial risks. Call us at (631) 750-0900 or contact us online to schedule your Free consultation at our Setauket office.
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