Seeing as I keep saying what a good time to buy it is, I thought some practical advice about inspecting a home before leaping into a sale may also be worthwhile. I know as well as the next person that falling in love with a home can result in a crashing desire to do whatever it takes to make it yours, and in today's market where many a buyer is anticipating getting a great bargain, it can be easy to jump the gun.
Savvy home buyers already know that hiring a professional inspector to go over the property thoroughly is of paramount importance. These people also know how important it is to actually be present for the inspection, and that's because you'll often find that some of the best information you can glean from home inspectors comes when they are chatting about their findings while walking around the home. You will want to read the inspector's written report carefully, but you should also keep in mind what was said during the inspection.
I find that property inspections are often like vehicle inspections, and the potential buyer has hired professional inspectors because they want to if anything's wrong, but then often they're surprised when the inspector actually finds something seriously amiss. Another scenario that can crop up with a property inspection is that sometimes a home inspector won't find anything specifically wrong with a home, but they may have a hunch that a problem might exist or be more extensive than it appears. If you find yourself in these circumstances, find out why the inspector can't determine the extent of the problem and what the risks are if you don't get another inspection. The last thing you want is to overlook these types of suspicions only to be faced with a $50,000 problem further down the track.
If you do discover problems with your dream home, you need to ask yourself how much you're prepared to spend to fix it and if the house worth the purchase price plus what you're going to have to spend. However, regardless of the outcome, the one thing you shouldn't do if a home inspector finds something wrong during the inspection is panic. Sadly, even newly built homes aren't perfect and by not panicking, you'll be able to think clearly about what you want to do, and how you plan to negotiate a solution to the problem.
Happy inspecting!