Buying a home is one of the greatest investments you can make in your life. When you buy a home, you need to know how you can maintain it, and a home inspection can help you identify problems that might need your attention. This is why it is vital to inspect your property regularly. In this article, we provide details about how often you should get your house inspected and why.
When to Inspect Your Home
If you want to buy a house and your offer has been accepted by the seller, the purchase agreement should have a clause that states the time a home inspection should occur. This kind of inspection acts as a contingency to the final agreement. It is conducted in order to help the buyer make an informed decision.
Once you become a homeowner, your house should be inspected at least once a year. Termites and moisture can damage the structure of your property without your knowledge and this is why annual inspections are vital. Inspections help you identify problems and address them early on. If your home is less than 10 years old, you may need to inspect it at least once every three years. Your home must get a thorough examination every five years.
Promotes Good Home Maintenance
A full inspection of your home includes many things, and it promotes quality maintenance of your property. The inspector will check your walls for cracks, and other notable damages caused by insects or weather elements. The inspector also checks other things around your home including the windows, doors, roof, plumbing, garage, electrical system, HVAC system, water heater, and kitchen appliance.
Your inspector will write a report you can use for maintenance purposes. Regular repairs to your home will help prevent smaller issues from developing into bigger problems. Ongoing maintenance will help you save money in the long run. However, when you buy a newly built home, you will not experience a lot of maintenance costs right away.
Uncover Major Issues
With a home inspection, you can uncover major issues or potentially life-threatening challenges on your property like mold. The good thing about mold inspections is that they help you identify bigger problems in your home. In most cases, mold is caused by excessive moisture that might be coming from leaks in the roofing or plumbing system. Leaks can be a result of damage to the roof. These issues must be addressed quickly before they get out of hand.
Some leaks in your plumbing system may be concealed inside the walls or under the tiles, and this is very dangerous. Once you identify mold, you must identify the source and address it quickly. Leaks in the water supply or drainage systems can cause structural damages that can be costly to repair. More importantly, solving the problem of mold can go a long way in protecting the health of the occupants of the house.
Safety
Another critical component of a home inspection is ensuring that your house is safe for you and your family. The inspector checks your electrical system to ensure it is in good working order. Inspectors also check windows, garage doors, and anything that can affect safety. You can also request that the inspector conduct a radon test to check for leakages. Radon gas is odorless and can cause lung disease.
Affordable
Having a home inspection won’t cost you a lot of money. They typically range between $300 and $600 depending on the type of property. Buying a home is a major investment, so regardless of the cost of having your home inspected, it will be worth it, and it may just help you save money in the long run by preventing issues that could become costly down the road.
Peace of Mind
When buying a property, an home inspection will give you peace of mind, especially knowing that you are purchasing a home without defects. An inspection ensures that your home is safe and solid. It also helps you attend to all problems on your property before they develop into bigger issues.
Whether you’ve bought a new house or live in an old one, a regular home inspection is critical. You can call an inspector at least once every year to inspect different components of your home. Critical inspections which cover roofing, plumbing, HVAC, and interior woodwork can be conducted at least once every three years. A regular home inspection will not cost you a lot of money and can help you uncover problems that you can fix before it is too late.