Is An Inspection Really Necessary?

One question that seems to be commonly asked among those who are interested in real estate investment, particularly in flipping properties, is whether a real estate inspection is really necessary. The long and short answer to that question is absolute and I will do my best to explain exactly why this is so.

First of all, a real estate inspection is the act of having a qualified professional take a look around the property you are considering and informing you of obvious and potential damage or problems with the property. This is not something you want your uncle or brother doing, unless of course, your uncle or brother has had the training and experience to know what to look for in an inspection and know what those things could mean.

Many who are planning to flip properties enter into the situation (particularly first time flippers) with the attitude that they know there are problems with the property and that is why they are purchasing the property. The problem is that the untrained eyes may miss some problems that should be addressed before moving along to other problems.

For instance, if there were obvious signs of plumbing problems that could cause a leak behind the wall, you wouldn’t want to paint that wall or replace the floors until you had the possible leak checked and either confirmed or denied and repaired, if necessary. Otherwise, you would likely need to undo the work (wasting both time and money) that had already been done by the time you found out about the leak that a competent inspector would have told you about before you even began working on the property.

Inspections are great before placing the bid on a house because they give investors a bargaining chip. For the true investor, this is a fact that cannot be ignored as it directly affects the bottom line price. If the roof needs to be replaced you are justified in offering a lower amount. If the electrical system needs to be updated, this is something that should be adjusted or amended in the final offer. These are also things that are easily identified by a qualified and competent property inspector. Anything that can save time and money is great when investing in property and an inspection can do both.

Another prominent thing about a good property inspection is that it often sheds light on the amount of money that will be needed to get the house in good working (or flappable order). Knowledge is very important in this line of work and can mean the difference between taking on a project (if the repair budget won’t exceed the eventual value of the property) or walking away if the expenses would be too great to turn a decent profit. As an investor you should never take on a property that is pretty much guaranteed to be a failure, it is simply not a wise financial move to make. It doesn’t matter how much the property calls to you on a personal level in the business of investing the bottom line is the only call you should be taking.

More importantly, a proper home inspection can inform you of potentially hazardous conditions within the home that the untrained eyes may not take notice of Some of these things include foundation issues and structural damage that is threatening the integrity of the property. An inspector should also notice the structural integrity of homes that could affect your home if they are weakened or fail all together. While these things seem so simple, it is often the simple things that lead to the greatest disasters. Whether you realize it or not, a good home inspector is one of the best tools you can have in your arsenal when it comes to flipping real estate as an investment venture.