Home Inspections are one of those home buying expenses you can avoid but probably should not. Depending on where and what you are buying, pest, radon, mold, or lead paint inspections may or may not be critical. Some will be the sellers responsibility rather than your own (especially true of septic inspections). But please find enough money in your budget to employ a reputable housing inspector (locally in CT. from $250-800) to do a visual inspection of your home before you sign the final contract. This is as important for a new house as it is for one being resold!
There are two reasons to have a qualified home inspector look at your new home. The first is obvious: You want and need to know the current condition of the house you are buying and whether there are any time bombs ticking away, ready to blow your budget right out of the water.
The second is less obvious but just as important. A good home inspector will teach you about your house; what the systems are, how they work, and how to keep them working. The level of confidence a home inspector can instill in a home buyer, especially one without any construction knowledge or innate do-it-yourself skills will be worth the cost involved.
As a professional full- time loan officer I am a strong believer in home inspections. Here in Connecticut we are lucky, home inspectors must be licensed, but in many states that is not the case, anyone can put out a shingle and advertise as a home inspector. A true home inspector should be someone with experience as a home builder, construction experience or engineering experience. A true home inspector is" worth his weight in gold".
What ever you do, don't rely on "Uncle Al's" inspection, get someone you are not related to and who does not have a financial incentive in the outcome of the transaction to inspect your new home.
They have offices nationally, visit their web site at: http://www.npiweb.com/
American Society of Home Inspectors: http://www.ashi.org/customers/default.asp
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