Emergency Alerts

Do You Need a Home Inspection?

Whether the home you want to buy is 50 years old or just 5 years old, getting a home inspection is a critical part of the home buying process. Paint, carpeting and cosmetic improvements can hide major issues with a home, and you don’t want to be unpleasantly surprised after closing!

Some of the best real estate deals on the market right now are homes that are being sold “as is.” Unfortunately, those deals can come with massive hidden costs.

But no matter how a property is being sold, buyers really should get an inspection or a pre-purchase evaluation by a qualified home inspection professional. An inspection or evaluation can reveal major issues that even an experienced homeowner may not recognize.

The biggest three issues with a home that can come up whether they are sold ‘as is’ or not are structural issues, water intrusion and systemic issues with HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), electric or plumbing.

Home inspectors can point out needed repairs, and a contractor can give estimates on how much those repairs will cost. A qualified home inspector or contractor can also find code violations and help uncover work done without permits, potentially saving the

PHOTO BY KALISTA DIAMANTOPOULOS

homeowner tens of thousands of dollars down the road.

Both Alexandria City and Fairfax County have online systems where any member of the public can search the work permit history of a property by address. Online searches are free. While the search will not reveal work done without permits, your home inspector or contractor will be able to recognize what previous owners have done to the home, and you can compare their knowledge with the permit records.

To check the permit history of a property in Alexandria, go to apps.alexandriava.gov/ permittracker. In Fairfax County, go to fairfaxcounty.gov/FIDO.

How to Hire a Home Services Company

Even if your new home is in perfect condition when you move in, things can go wrong over time.

Before an emergency strikes, you should have the names and phone numbers of an electrician, plumber, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), roofing company and other home services professionals handy.

How do you make a good choice?

Chances are, your real estate professional has a network of home services professionals they can recommend. It may also be worthwhile to talk to your new neighbors, coworkers and friends to ask for recommendations in addition to your real estate professional. No matter who you hire, you should make sure their company is licensed, bonded and insured.

Licensed means they are licensed to operate a business by the state, bonded means they have money in escrow with a bonding company in the event that a customer files a complaint against them, and insured means they carry proper safety, liability and other insurances.

You have the right to ask for proof of all three of these things. If a company declines to provide this proof, that’s a red flag.

With most home services companies in Virginia, you can look up their license and any complaints against them by going to dpor.virginia.gov/LicenseLookup.