Existing Home Inspections In Maryland

If the home you're buying isn't new, your best protection is to hire a professional home inspector to look out for your interests.

An existing home is a house that has had a prior owner. Buying an existing home comes with its own unique set of issues. You really have no idea how well the home has been maintained or what repairs have been done (and who did them - handy-homeowner?).

If you're like most home buyers, you spent 18 minutes or less looking at the home before making an offer. Even if you spent longer you probably didn't check out any dark areas of the basement. You didn't climb up in the attic and look for existing or past roof leaks. You didn't evaluate the equipment that will provide your family comfort like the heating, cooling, hot water or electrical systems.

Why would you? When you're looking for a new home you're concerned with the location, the floor plan, does it have the room you need, do you like the layout of the kitchen, is there a nice family room, how does it look, how does it feel...

But before you spend your hard-earned money on a new home you should know more about the home. You should have someone check it out who's willing to look in all the dark areas of the basement. Someone who will get up in the attic and check out the inside of the roof for leaks, look at the support structure and see that the house is properly insulated. Someone who is knowledeable about heating equipment and systems, cooling equipment, hot water heaters and electrical systems...

Someone who is trained to spot problems - past and present... and to know what might be a problem just waiting to happen...

Have Someone Look Out For You...

Someone who will look out for you and make sure you are making a sound investment in that new home. And that someone is a trained, professional home inspector. He will thoroughly inspect the home for you and provide you a written report with pictures of all the issues identified in the home.

Buying a home is a huge investment... maybe even the largest purchase you'll ever make in your lifetime. You certainly don't want to find out after it's yours that you have bought a money pit that requires more and more of your hard-earned cash to fix.

And surely you don't want to risk your family's safety by moving into a home that could have safety issues like overloaded electrical panels that could cause a fire.

You've put a lot of time and effort into finding the right home for you. And you've dealt with real estate agents, mortgage companies, and everyone else. You're ready to get moved into the home and settle down a bit. The last thing you need is to move in and find out you've got problems with the home.

Now is the time to protect yourself. A small investment in a home inspection can provide you with the information you need to negotiate repairs with the seller (and save you money). Or if you find out that your dream home isn't such a dream after all you can move on and keep looking. And you'll have the peace of mind of knowing that the move you're about to make is a good decision.

A home inspection gives you, the buyer, more detailed information about the overall condition of the home prior to the purchase. During the course of the home inspection, your inspector will take an in-depth, unbiased look at your potential new home to:

• Evaluate the physical condition of the home including the structure, the overall construction and the mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems
• Identify items that need to be repaired or replaced
• Estimate the useful life of the major systems and equipment

He'll even tell you how to maintain the home to avoid costly repairs in the future.

It's a small investment to make that will provide you lots of value - knowing that you and your family will be safe from potential safety issues, knowing that you're making a sound financial investment and it could even save you thousands of dollars in unexpected repairs...

Hire a professional, trained home inspector today and get the peace of mind that you deserve.

Call Us Now at 410-591-8376 to Schedule Your Inspection

I'm getting an appraisal, do I need a home inspection?

It's important that you know that an appraisal is different from a home inspection. Appraisals are for lenders; home inspections are for you, the home buyer.

An appraisal is necessary to:

• Estimate the value of the home
• Make sure the house meets minimum property standards / requirements if it is an FHA loan
• Make sure the home is marketable

An appraisal is an overall view of the home's value. It is not an in-depth inspection of the structure and condition of the home. An appraisal will not reveal the level of information that you need to know to be sure of the condition of the home and it's components.

Does FHA guarantee the value and condition of the home?

If you're buying the home with FHA financing you need to know that FHA does NOT guarantee the value and condition of the home. If you find problems with your new home after closing, FHA can not give or lend you money for repairs. FHA cannot buy the home back from you. Only a home inspection can provide you the detailed information on the home that you need in order to make an informed buying decision.

This is why it is important for you, the home buyer, to get an independent home inspection.

Call Us Now at 410-591-8376 to Schedule Your Inspection