Have you done your sums? Hidden costs when buying a property
If you’re looking to buy a home, you may be wondering whether it’s worth hiring a building inspector to complete a pre-purchase home inspection. If the house looks good to you, is a building inspection worth the cost?
What many home buyers don’t realise is that houses can come with hidden costs, and choosing not to invest in a pre-purchase building inspection now could result in major expenses further down the track. As someone with years of experience behind me, I know what to look out for – here are some of the common building flaws that the untrained eye may miss when examining properties:
Mould—what does it mean?
It’s pretty common for homes to acquire a little bit of mould on their exterior over time, and sometimes all the walls need is a good scrub. However, mould could also be a sign of a leaky home, something which you definitely DON’T want to buy. Leaky homes can cost tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix, and just aren’t worth it. Choosing to get a professional building inspection before finalising any payments could save you from purchasing a lemon – and some pretty tough times money-wise later.
Your responsibility
Once you’ve purchased a property, any pre-existing problems are now your responsibility. If you’ve been around all the open homes, it can be very overwhelming, and it’s easy to forget to check for some of the common problems in houses. Throughout my years of experience, I’ve noticed a few faults that seem to avoid being noticed until it’s too late. Faulty roofing, broken home appliances, unstable handrails, and problematic plumbing are financial burdens that you really don’t need!
It’s also important to consider how well the building will fare in different weather. A poorly ventilated house can lead to pesky mould, and a house without insulation will cause your power bill to skyrocket during the winter months! It’s also worth noting that insulation will be compulsory in all rental homes starting July 2019, so if you’re buying property to rent, you’ll probably want to get a building inspection report first.
Faults can be your friend
Whenever I conduct a building inspection, chances are I’ll find a few hidden faults within the property. In a competitive housing market (particularly in Auckland!), knowing the property’s flaws are the best bargaining chips you’ll have. Use them to your advantage when negotiating – you may even be able to get a better deal!
If you’re browsing around the housing market at the moment, pre-purchase building inspections on any house you’re considering is just good sense – and will help save you a huge amount of money and stress further down the line. Get in touch today for a quality building inspection with results you can trust.
