What's the role of a building inspector?

If you’re thinking of buying a house, it’s a good idea to have it inspected by an expert to be sure you’re making a smart decision.

Buying property is a big decision, not just because of the hundreds of thousands of dollars you will likely pay for the initial sale, but also because of what it will cost you over the years. If you discover that your house is not in good condition and requires repairs, you'll end up paying much more than you bargained for.

The role of a building inspector is to give you an objective opinion on the condition of the house you are interested in buying.

The short answer is: before you buy it. If you believe there may be multiple offers on the house you’re interested in, you may want to hire a building inspector to give you his or her opinion on the house before you put in your offer. That way, you'll be able to make an offer that's not conditional on a house inspection. This could give you a leg up on the other interested parties.

Typically, however, a home inspector gets involved with a house purchase after you've put in an offer to buy it. If you’re a responsible home buyer, you'll mention in your offer to purchase that your offer is conditional on a home inspection. The reason for this is that although a house may look great and seem like it’s in excellent condition, it may hold surprises that only an expert can see.

Some people may feel like paying a building inspector is a waste of money, but that just isn’t the case. The truth is, a building inspector can save you a lot of money down the road. One scenario is that the building inspector will identify problems with the house and advise you not to buy it because it will cost you a ton in repairs. Another scenario is that the inspector will see issues with the house, and you can therefore lower your offer price to compensate for the amount of money that you will have to put into the house for repairs.

In summary, the role of building inspectors is to tell you aspects about the house you’re thinking of buying, which you wouldn’t necessarily be able to uncover without them. And even if they tells you that the house is in excellent condition, you will be happy you had them at your disposal because you can have peace of mind and buy with confidence.