Are you looking into buying a home? If you are, you should make sure to know everything you can about the house before you decide to stake your claim. We recommend starting with a thorough home inspection.
When a home inspector comes to the property they look for any possible issues within the house. Following the inspection a formal report is written which includes their assessment of possible issues. Unfortunately, no home is perfect.
The results give you a closer look at the real condition of your potential home. No one wants to spend thousands and thousands of dollars on a home just to find out that it has irreparable structural damage. So as soon as you find a home that is a real possibility, you should consider having one done.
Home inspectors evaluate a list of things but as your insurance agency we recommend having a Wind Mitigation Inspection and a 4-Point Inspection done because these are the types of inspections that are preferred by insurance companies.
Wind Mitigation refers to special construction features that will limit that damage caused by intense wind. Although it’s not required, our insurance agency typically recommends that any home built before 2002 has a wind mitigation inspection done. This inspection can lower a home’s hurricane premiums up to 70% and who doesn’t want to save some money with a lower premium?
But please note that the inspection paperwork is only good for 5 years so make sure you have the inspection updated when needed. Call us today to find out more details about Wind Mitigation Inspections and when you need to have yours updated.
The other type of inspection we recommend is a 4-Point Inspection. This inspection looks at 4 key points of your home including HVAC, Roofing, Electric, and Plumbing. 4-Point Inspections are typically required for homes that are 25 years or older to verify that the home is insurable. Not every carrier requires these so give us a call to find out if your insurance carrier needs you to have one done.
Keep in mind that a home inspection is not the same thing as an appraisal. An appraiser will not search for problems within your potential home. Appraisals only offer an estimate of the worth of your property. Both are equally as important to do but we want to make sure there is no confusion between the two. Insurance agencies want to know how safe and structurally sound the home is.
Finding a potential future home is very exciting and we want to make sure that it is everything you need it to be. Call us anytime to find out more about how to protect yourself in such a big purchase.
Here are the two companies that we recommend when looking to have an inspection done on a possible future home:
Patek Home Inspections – Sarasota, Manatee and Hillsborough County
Dream Protection Home Inspection – Collier, Lee, and Charlotte County