Before closing on the sale, you need to know for yourself everything about the property’s condition. This means that you need to hire a reputable and qualified inspector to conduct a professional home inspection. This inspection will reveal any structural or system-related issues, anything from structural integrity problems in the foundation, walls, or roofing, as well as any electrical, gas, and plumbing problems. Any sales agreement should be conditional on satisfactory results from this inspection.
Mistake #8: Compromising on Your Needs
Newbie home buyers often make the mistake of compromising on their needs, usually because the home-search process is taking too long, or they’ve fallen in love with a home that almost meets their criteria. Remember that list of needs and wants you carefully thought about, prepared, and wrote out back in Chapter 15? I mentioned that while you’re likely to need to make certain concessions on some of your wants (after all, no home is 100% perfect), you should never compromise on your needs. You wrote them down for a reason! For example, a concession you can make is letting go of your dream of a living room fireplace, but then not compromising on the number of bedrooms you will need for your growing family. If a three-bedroom home is a settle need, don’t for a two-bedroom home and just assume “it will work out.” On the other hand, though, think realistically and creatively. Perhaps one of your needs is a home with neutral colors because you won’t be able to afford immediate renovations or even small touch-ups, like paint. Don’t say “no” to an otherwise great home that meets your other criteria and that you can afford. It might be worthwhile to live in such a home with wall colors you hate, just temporarily, until you have the money and time to repaint. Such a small physical imperfection can easily be remedied, so don’t let it cloud your
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