The Importance of Home Inspections

A friend of mine bought his first home recently, and it was only well after closing that I found out he’d waived the inspection in order to close faster. “I walked through it - it looks great,” was his justification, and I was only just able to stop from dropping to my knees and yelling at the sky in frustration.

Home inspections are important. Any house can “look great” to an untrained eye - artfully applied spackle and a fresh coat of paint can cover the signs of problems lurking in a home. Cracks and gaps in the walls can be signs of a sinking foundation. Crumbling mortar can point to water leaks in a block wall. It’s after you breach the surface that progress is made. A home inspector will catch a bowing wall when there’s a one inch lean as opposed to six. They see signs of water problems even when the basement is currently dry. They can assess not only the current state, but also potential issues down the road.

It’s unlikely that you’re filming your own version of “Flip or Flop” where you feel comfortable buying a house sight unseen in cash. You have time to get a proper inspection, and you owe it to yourself and your family to know exactly what you’re getting into - or avoiding. Ayers has established relationships with many home inspectors and realtors all around Michigan, so if the inspector finds a problem, they may tell you to call us.

When we get a call from someone who has made an offer on a home and is in their 10 day inspection period, we make it a priority to inspect the house in their timeframe and provide a written estimate. This may mean you walk away from the house and its problems, but it could also mean that you and the seller work something out so the problem gets fixed and everyone is happy. Either way, you have all of the information you need before committing to the largest purchase you’ll make in your life.

Make time for your home inspection, and we’ll make sure you’re covered.