How Pre-Purchase Inspections Can Help You Avoid Big Headaches

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When it comes to buying a house it always pays to be pragmatic about every possible problem that could arise. Part of this is planning out what issues may arise when you start renovations to make the house fit your personal taste, and part of that planning is ensuring that you have thorough pre-purchase inspections of the house by a certified expert. Completing this step before you hand over hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars is extremely important and also very easy to do. Here are a few reasons why pre-purchase inspections are important and how to organise them.

Who Performs Pre-Purchase Inspections?

There are many different experts that can provide an opinion on your proposed house, from architects to builders and many of the tradesmen in between these two processes. However, what you should be looking for is companies specifically advertising the fact that they provide pre-purchase inspections. That means that they have the necessary infrastructure on hand to commit to an inspection, and also have an internal way of evaluating the property for you. This gives you a much smoother and simpler process to follow, rather than just cold calling a random builder and asking them to do a pre-purchase inspection for you.

What Is a Pre-Purchase Inspection?

A pre-purchase inspection is simply a way to prevent yourself from getting tricked into believing the property you are buying is of higher quality than it is. Most of the time when a property is advertised as something it is exactly, or very close to, what the add says. Sometimes, shady practitioners will try to cover up significant flaws in the building to try to get more money out of you before you notice. Some shady practices include covering up mould, hiding internal structural faults, not showing plumbing problems and much more.

Do You Need to Tell the Owner?

Generally, no you don't need to inform the owner because most pre-purchase inspections take place at open homes. Of course, there is no reason why you shouldn't tell the owner, as ordering pre-purchase inspections is part of your due diligence as a buyer and they should welcome the inquiry. If the building is as advertised then there is nothing they haven't said that won't be on the report anyway. If an owner finds out you are conducting a pre-purchase inspection and tries to get you to stop, take this as a sign that you probably need the inspection.


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