You have finally located what looks like the perfect piece of San Bernardino Ca real estate. At least on the outside, it is all you have been looking for since you sold your Richmond home for the sunny west coast. Swimming pool, manicured lawn, fresh paint, new carpets; everything you can see looks in place and orderly. Even the price seems like a dream. You might feel some pressure to make an offer right away, before another buyer comes along and scoops it up from under your nose.
Before you buy, though, you need to use a little caution. In the real estate business, many buyer's agents will recommend their clients pay for a home inspection before they make an offer. Here are some of the reasons why.
What you see is NOT what you get!
The tricky thing about the real estate business is that it is one largely based on perception. When you sold your piece of Paris Ontario real estate to come south, you made sure it looked as good as it could. You cleaned when there was a showing, did any minor renovations yourself, and generally made it look very appealing in order to get some bids.
That's the same approach used by people selling everything from Leslieville homes to San Bernardino condominiums. What you may not realize is that for the most part, all of these changes are cosmetic. They appeal to the average person, but they do nothing to reveal the conditions of the more expensive parts of the home. How old are the pipes? Is everything wired according to code? Is there black mold present?
These are things that only a qualified individual can detect. As a buyer, you are probably inclined to trust the word of the seller, but in real estate as in all else, it is buyer beware. The last thing you need is to jump at a price on a nice looking home, only to find out there are some serious foundation issues!
Strengthen your negotiating position
Aside from the potential to save you a lot of money in repair bills, not to mention time, a home inspection has the potential to greatly strengthen your position during negotiations on price. You sold your condominium in downtown Toronto and you want that money to go as far as possible. Problems revealed during a home inspection can really help you lower your offer price.
At the same time, that home inspection will help explain to the seller why that piece of San Bernardino or Courtice real estate may not sell for as high a price as she thought. Inspectors include a written report of their findings once the complete their job, so any problems will be put down on paper. The evidence is right there for the seller to see. The good news? Like you, they probably only have a very rough idea how much the problem will cost to fix, so you can get away with knocking off a few hundred extra.
Of course, many home inspections result in a clean bill of health for the house in question. In that case, your biggest benefit is peace of mind. You know you won't have any major worries with the home for years to come.
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