A list of the inspections you should prioritize when buying a home.

 

Today we're going to talk about my inspection recommendations if you're purchasing a home in the mountains of Northeast Georgia and Western North Carolina. For the longest time, we didn't really have a code or code enforcement in the mountains. Well, let's just say there are some inspections you really should do. Here are the three you must do: 

 

“There are some inspections you really should do.”

 

  1. A basic home inspection. Make sure you hire a licensed home inspector to go over that home from foundation to roof. You want to make sure it has been examined top to bottom by a licensed home inspector. 

 

  1. A wood infestation inspection. This is commonly a termite inspection, but up here we have beetles and things of that nature, we don't have termites like in my home state of Florida. Termites can be a real mess. However, up here we do occasionally have issues, so make sure you get a wood infestation inspection. 

 

  1. A septic inspection. We don't have much in the way of city sewer. Most homes are on a septic tank. Historically, there have actually been so-called septic tanks that were nothing more than a 55-gallon drum. Make sure you have that tank dug up and inspected so that you don't get a backup and a big surprise. 

 

In addition, there are two inspections I recommend you do: 

 

  1. A radon inspection. Radon is an issue that kills people in this country every year, and some homes have radon issues. If you get this inspection and know you have it, it is easy to mitigate. 

 

  1. A water inspection. This is particularly necessary for homes that have been vacant for a period of time. However, this is also an easy fix. You just want to make sure the water you're drinking is clean. 

 

Bonus tip: obtain the latest survey. Unless you have a very current survey, particularly one that has the home located from the property lines and the setbacks, you want to get a modern survey. Some of the old surveys are not sufficient nowadays, especially with title insurance and things of that nature.

 

Those are my must-do’s and my recommendations. As always, if I can help you, please give me a call. Thank you.