What you can't see CAN hurt you!

I'm going to say it. You should not skip having a home inspection when you are buying a property. I know it costs more money that you feel you don't have but I'm sure you budgeted for this, right?
A professional home inspection is a vital part of the home buying process. Unless you are a home inspector, you are going to miss something. You're just not that good. You may think you're checking all the nooks and crannies but there is going to be something that you can't see.

I almost got trapped into buying a condo that was full of black mold. I originally went in to inspect it myself. It smelled a little musty but I thought nothing of it because it was a vacant unit. I noticed a little mold on the kitchen wall above the counter. I thought, "No worries. I can take care of that after I move in."
Well on the day of my home inspection, the home inspector spotted the same moldy spot in the kitchen. The only difference is that he went a little further. He did something that I should have done but didn't even think to do. I was a newbie to the home buying game at that point. He moved the stove out of the way. Well guess what, that little bit of mold turned into a WHOLE LOT of mold. It was covering the entire wall behind the stove. Keep in mind, that's just the mold that we could see. Upon closer inspection, it was also rotting away the wooden back splash and where the counter tops butted up against the wall. We also found more behind the refrigerator and in the closet with the a/c handler.

Needless to say, the owner of the property never mentioned this to me or my Realtor. Also needless to say, I did not buy that property. I promptly canceled the contract and got my deposit back. That would have required AT LEAST an entire kitchen remodel and who knows how much dry wall to be replaced. There is no way to tell how far the mold has spread without ripping out drywall, piece by piece, and checking. So, on to the next property!

That's a true story. It happened to me about 4 months ago. It goes to show you that what you can't see CAN hurt you! Get a professional home inspection! Be prepared.

Sincerely,

Larry N.
http://www.homewithconfidence.com