Home inspection before buying: Is it worth it?

Would you gamble your savings in the red at the casino? So, why are you thinking of buying a house without hiring a professional technical inspection? An inspection of the house you are going to buy can save your life (financially speaking). Foreigners have it clear: they never advance money without first having a qualified technician carry out a technical inspection of the property in question. The Spaniards, however, neither know this figure, nor see it as necessary. If you are about to buy a house and want to know if you should hire a home inspection, this post will answer your questions.

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Just before summer, a close friend's relative bought a house that, at first sight, seemed perfect.

The seller was represented by a local realtor and they, the buyers, by their realtor; everything seemed to be under control.

It was a second home, a home on the coast, so the enthusiasm and emotions I guess clouded, in part, the good judgment of the buyers. The funny thing is that, despite all that enthusiasm, it never crossed his mind to do an inspection of the condition of the property.

What's the point? If the house looks good and the realtor has already assured you that there are no problems... what could go wrong?

Well, two weeks after signing the contract, reality hit harder than the 2008 housing bubble. Moisture in the walls, water pressure problems, electrical faults that no one mentioned to him. His dream house started to look more like a black hole of money.

What really pissed him off was that none of the professionals who brokered mentioned anything about it: "But... no one warned me! I thought everything was in order."

Here's the big misunderstanding.

Real estate brokerage is a completely liberalized sector and, since a quarter of a century ago, intrusiveness on the part of unqualified "professionals" (and opportunists thirsty for commissions, why not say it) has deteriorated the service, even giving rise to countless cases like the one I am telling you about here.

And of course, if you fall into the hands of one of these agents?

Do you really believe that when you buy a property, this real estate agent or the seller is looking out for your interests? Let me put it to you straight: no. In the end, they are there to close the sale and move on to the next client.

And here's the problem. People trust the "professionals" who sell them the house as if they were their best friends. They think the seller cares about their well-being, their future problems or how much it's going to cost them to fix the things you can't see at first glance.

Do you remember the "financial advisors" who recommended Preferreds to retirees"? Well, it is exactly the same thing.

The reality is that if you don't pay the professional to protect you, that "professional" doesn't work for you.

So what do you do?

This person calls us, tells us the situation and orders a Hidden Defects Report (1.500€, plus VAT).

With the report, you put it in the hands of the lawyer, who studies the case. (Another 1.500€ on account, plus VAT).

A notarial survey is ordered, with photos (Another 750€, plus VAT).

The amount of the necessary repairs exceeds 80.000€, but the feasibility of winning the claim in front of a judge is a lottery; in law everything is subjective to be interpreted.

Are you going to face a process that can last years, costs in lawyers, experts, solicitors, etc...?

When you buy a second hand property, you buy as a certain body, and you can claim, as we have already seen in other entries; but each case is a world and it is not always worth to start a process of economic and mental wear and tear.

In this case, what was recommended to the buyers was to reach an amicable agreement with the seller, on those points that were really susceptible to be considered hidden defects. But there was little that could be done about construction defects that were not foreseen before the purchase.

Assume the reality (and its cost, of course).

Is it worth, then, to save 610€ in a technical inspection of the house you are going to buy?

Let me tell you how Valido Home works. We do not sell houses, we are not interested in sales commissions or in closing quick deals.

You pay us to protect you. Our job is to examine every inch of that home so you know exactly what you are getting into before you sign anything.

We explain to you if the electrical system is faulty, if there is damp that is going to cost you thousands of euros in repairs, or if you are going to have to change the air conditioning system as soon as you move in (even though the ad says it has Air Conditioning).

And here there are no shortcuts or smoke. Only clear, real solutions based on years of experience. Because, at the end of the day, it's not about "saving a few euros", it's about saving you future problems.

Why risk your peace of mind and your savings?

We want to turn the situation around. We want you to be our client before we risk your money. When the problem is not yet your problem.

If you want to buy with the certainty that you are doing it right, Valido Home is here to help you. We are not going to sell you the house. We're going to tell you the truth about it.