Category — Home Inspection

Latent defects are the problems with a home that you can’t see just by walking through it. You really need a home inspector to examine the home you want to buy in order to determine whether there are any latent defects. Latent defects can potentially be far more serious than obvious, patent defects, and you could save yourself a lot of money if you avoid buying a house which turns up with plenty of latent defects on an inspection.  

You’ve had your home inspection, and the inspector has turned up some corrective work that need to be done on your new home. You’ve gotten estimates so you know how much it’ll cost to fix the problems. Now it’s time to talk to the sellers, and negotiate credits for corrective work. To do this, you generally have three options:  

When you’re buying a home, you hear over and over again “get the home inspected!” Conducting a thorough home inspection prior to buying can save you a ton of cash, and even prevent you from buying a home that could become a nightmare instead of your dream house. So you know to get an inspection, but what do you do if the inspection yields negative results?  

No matter what kind of home you’re buying, it should be inspected. Don’t assume that just because a home was well-maintained, it doesn’t have any issues. Likewise, don’t assume that just because you’re buying a new home that the builder guarantees, it’s free of construction flaws. Every home can have problems, and all properties should be inspected before you buy. If you make an offer, make it contingent upon the home inspection.  

Many buyers want to get the perfect deal. Maybe you’re determined to do all of your research up front so you know exactly how much to budget for repairs, home improvements and resolving any issues in your new home. That’s a reasonable desire, but don’t let the fine print ruin your deal.