You’re ready to buy your first home or you need a larger space to accommodate your growing family. After several weeks of intense searching, you finally find the perfect home. But, you come down from your cloud soon enough…reality hits, the market is fierce and several offers have been made. You don’t want to lose this house and you think about giving up the home inspection stage. What do you do? Buying a home without an inspection? Keep the inspection clause or waive it? Stay tuned as we look at whether buying a home without an inspection is a risky decision…

A competitive seller’s market, a growing shortage of homes for sale and the need to outbid the competition, making one’s offer more attractive to sellers: these are just some of the reasons why homebuyers too often forgo a home inspection to secure their dream home.

While we strongly discourage this practice, it seems to be a risk that some buyers are willing to take. The home inspection clause can sometime prevent your offer from being accepted because of the seller’s desire to sell their home quickly. Yet, it makes sense to spend a few hundred dollars on a home inspection before you spend several hundred thousand dollars on your new home.

Without a home inspection, you lose the opportunity to learn more about the condition of your home and ask the seller to make the necessary repairs. Home inspectors don’t just look at the house; they provide a detailed analysis that highlights current problems and items that may become problematic later.

A home inspector visually examines the home and prepares a report listing items that require repair(s) or further investigation. For example, if a home costs you $50,000 or more in repairs, then it may be prudent to re-evaluate that purchase.

As you can see, without a pre-purchase inspection, you run the risk of having to pay for costly repairs. Especially since some conditions may even present health risks for your family.  In fact, during a home inspection, you may discover dangerous elements such as structural problems, heating equipment in poor condition, or patched-up wiring, among others. A home inspection not only provides an extra layer of protection, but it can also help you plan for a safe future in your new home.

So while you may be able to spot some problems on your own, having an expert evaluate your new home will reveal things you can’t notice on your own. They can also recommend repairs, allowing you to make a wise purchasing decision and buy or not with peace of mind…

Buying a house without an inspection is buying with your eyes closed…