Getting Started

When making an offer to buy any type of property, include a clause in your purchase agreement that makes your offer contingent upon the property passing inspection. You must do this in order to avoid being bamboozled by an unscrupulous owner surreptitiously masking a property's major defects. Who should inspect your property for major defects depends upon how much construction knowledge and experience you have. If you lack the necessary knowledge and experience, you should hire a retired tradesmen or professional property inspector to snoop around and inspect the property for major defects that some owners will try and hide. Conduct a search on the Internet to obtain the names of certified or licensed property inspectors in your area. If you know what you're doing, you can do your own property inspections. That's what I do when I need to have a property inspected. I simply make an appointment with the owner and show up at the property in my old coveralls with my high-powered searchlight, trusty ice pick, binoculars, extension ladder, mini-tape recorder and inspection checklists, and inspect the property for:

1. Structural roof damage.

2. Sinking and cracking foundations.

3. Mold contamination.

4. Structural termite damage.

 

read the complete article...