A purchasing a home one of the best investments you can ever make. To protect your investment, here are several reasons to get a home inspection before buying your new home.

Home Inspection Reason #1: A Home Inspection Keeps You Safe

Arguably the most important reason to get a home inspection is to help keep you and your family safe. There are a few ways it can do that.

One example is radon testing. Radon is a dangerous gas that comes out of the ground. Unfortunately, it's not something you can really smell, so it's difficult to detect without the right equipment.

While some gases are not harmful, radon is actually the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer in general. By getting a home inspection and testing for radon, you're helping make sure the home is safe to live in.

A home inspection can also identify mold. Mold tends to grow in wet, moist areas such as basements or bathrooms that aren't ventilated well. Mold spores are not good for your respiratory system and can cause allergic reactions.

Home inspectors also test for carbon monoxide. Large amounts of this gas can cause you to faint and suffocate because your body isn't getting the oxygen it needs to breathe.

Not enough of a reason to get a house inspection? Here's another one:

Home Inspection Reason #2: Inspections Identify Critical Issues

An inspector may find a lot of things wrong with a home that you wouldn't notice because you aren't an expert.

• Does the home have major cracks in the foundation, walls or ceiling?
• Is there evidence of leaks, such as water spots on ceilings?
• Is there a presence of rodent feces in the attic, indicating they nest up there?
• Are the gutters faulty, meaning a lot of water is getting into your house instead of going down the downspouts and spilling out away from your home?
• Is the water heater over twenty years old and about to fail any minute now?
• Is the roof so old that it isn't protecting the rest of the home well anymore?

These types of things are what inspectors can find. Some repairs may only cost a few hundred bucks. Others may be tens of thousands of dollars. Without an inspection, you're in the dark and have no idea.

Home Inspection Reason #3: A House Inspection Provides a Way Out

Let's pretend you didn't get a professional home inspection – you just decided to do it yourself. After all, you'd be careful and take a close look. No problem, right?

Now let's pretend that when you visited the house again, you found a major issue. It scares you away and you don't want to buy the house anymore.

…unfortunately, you hadn't included anything in your offer that gave you a way out. You're now under contract and obligated to buy the home.

If you had planned on getting an inspection from the get-go, you probably would've included a clause that gave you an "out." Essentially it lets you cancel the purchase of the home based on what the home inspection found.

This clause is especially important for situations where a major issue comes up. It helps you walk away without having to lose your earnest money. Since your earnest money is typically between 1% and 5% of the purchase price of the home, that's not something you want to lose! That's between $2,000 and $10,000 on a home that's being purchased for $200,000.

We Can Help

If you have any questions, send us an email at info@bydand.com or give us a call at (877) 306-0222. We look forward to walking you through the home buying process and answering any questions you have.