WARNING: Don’t Buy a House in Houston without a Professional Residential Home Inspection
Before buying a house, there are some things that you should know:
- As many as 15% of new homes sold had life-threatening defects http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20060707_newhomedefects.htm
- A 12-month period data collection process done by a group of field inspectors shows that out of 31,995 homes inspected, single-family homes averaged $5,398 in defects.
- Gone are the days in Texas when a house purchased is protected by an implied warranty of habitability. Now, the ever- powerful and influential Texas agency of builders makes it more difficult for home owners to sue their builders.
- In Texas, anyone with a couple of hundred of dollars and a social security number is eligible to be a builder, even if they have no qualifications whatsoever in constructing houses.
- Arbitration in the Texas home building industry is very expensive and was reported to be heavily biased in favor of the builder.
Protect yourself as a home owner
As you can see, being a homeowner, especially in Houston, comes with a lot of risks. To minimize those risks, extra precautions should be taken when buying a house.
In fact, the best time to protect your interests as a home owner is actually before you become one… when you are home buyer. At this stage, you still hold the reigns in making sure that the house you’re buying becomes your dream house and not a nightmare. That’s why arranging for a good quality residential home inspection is a must to make sure that you know what you’re buying into or what you should not be buying into.
In Houston, a professional residential home inspection prevents you from a multitude of pitfalls many other home owners face due to inadequate information about the property they’ve purchased.
Can You Trust a Cheap Home Inspection?
Having to spend thousands of dollars to buy a house, it’s easy to fall into the trap of scrimping on a home inspection. However, even if the house seller provides you with a “full disclosure” of the house’s condition, the last thing you should scrimp on is a proper home inspection.
It’s true you’ll find someone to do your residential home inspection in Houston for as low as $150. But as you know, you only get what you pay for. For a home inspector to survive with a rate that low, he probably schedules many back-to-back inspections in a day. With other inspections to finish on the same day, how much time do you think that inspector can give your house? Likewise, how thoroughly can the inspection be if time is limited?
So you see, saving a few dollars now at the risk of overlooking what could be a major house defect that might cost you thousands in the future is not really a good idea. What’s a few dollars savings compared to the huge investment you’re about to make? In the end, a good Houston residential home inspection can save you from losing not only thousands of dollars down the road but also can give you peace of mind that the home you are buying will be hazard-free for you and your family.
A Realtor Home Inspector
If a home inspector is recommended by your real estate agent, here’s something for you to think about. Real estate agents get about 6% in commissions on a house sale. Would an agent really recommend an inspector that would probably change your mind about buying the house? So to avoid any conflicts of interest, it’s best to pick an independent home inspector; one who’ll only work for you.
Picking the Right Houston Residential Home Inspector
Price alone and a realtor’s recommendation are not a good basis for picking a Houston Home Inspector. Instead, here are some better factors to consider when picking your home inspector:
- If the home inspector is licensed by a recognized industry association
- Length of experience
- Specialized experience in residential home inspection in Houston
- The price for the home inspection and what it covers
- How much time the inspection will take
- Does the inspector provide advice for improvements or repairs based on the inspection
- Samples of report and how long it would take to receive a report
- If you are invited to be present during the inspection
If you want more information about a professional residential home inspection in Houston, contact Wiser Property Inspections at wiserproinspect@comcast.net.
If you would like to request for a quotation for a home inspection, fill in our contact form.
