The reason for getting a home inspection is protect yourself for one reason.
It will tell you the defects in the house you are intrested in and most lenders
will require you to get one before they process you for a loan. You can do a pre
home inspection by yourself, If after doing your own pre-inspection you still
decide to make an offer, be sure to get a qualified home inspector to more
thoroughly inspect the home.
First thing to do is contact a good home inspection company in your area.
They will go through the home you are going to purchase with you and it will
take atleast 3 hours. But they thoroughly check everything from wiring to
foundation to plumbing, etc...It would cost you anywhere from $150.00-$400.00
for a home inspectior depending on the size of the house remember its a good
idea to ask questions...It's also a good idea to ask the home inspector if there
are any particular tests they they can do.
A home inspector is trained to be a detective in regard to the construction
and working parts of homes. If there are things that are wrong, the homeowner
will either fix the problem before you move in or they will write it into the
offer.
Its also a good idea to get an inspectior because you never know what will
happen with lets say the roof. It might look new, but chances are its old and
has leaks. Or the foundation is cracked, think of all the money you would have
saved if you would have spent the few hundred dollars to have an inspector come
in. These are things to think about, it does happen...
For you to have peace of mind think about having a home inspection done
before you make that final decision...Its better to spend the few hundred rather
than the few thousand for something that could have been prevented.