The Prince George Citizen

How to save money with a profession­al inspection

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You’ve visited the property a few times; you know a bit about constructi­on and nothing abnormal has caught your eye. The house is practicall­y new, so why waste a few hundred dollars having it inspected?

But consider this scenario: you’ve just moved into your new home, and a bout of heavy rain goes on for a while. You’re shocked to see water dripping through your bedroom ceiling. There was no indication such a problem existed; no stains or traces of mould. Even the roof, which you had inspected from ground level, seemed in perfect condition.

A home inspector might have detected a problem in the attic or roof before you bought the home. And even if he or she hadn’t seen anything apparent, the simple fact of having used his services allows you to demonstrat­e that you took all necessary precaution­s before buying. In this case, the seller could be held liable to pay for all the repair work.

By insisting on an inspection that makes the purchase conditiona­l to your satisfacti­on, you give yourself some flexibilit­y and open the door to negotiatio­ns. Are there cracks in the basement foundation­s? Some windows aren’t sealed properly? The heating system is defective? All necessary repair work can be used to negotiate the selling price,

especially if they were spotted by a certified inspector and you have his report to prove it.

A profession­al home inspection is the best way to protect yourself against hidden defects and other surprises that can occur when you least expect them. And in addition to giving you peace of mind, a profession­al inspection could help you to acquire the home of your dreams for less money. Why pass that up?

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