Scottsdale Home Inspection for Buyers

You’ve found a home in Scottsdale that you decide you must have and make an offer. After going back and forth on the offer, you and the Scottsdale home seller agree on a price.

Next, you have to decide if you want to have the home in Scottsdale inspected by a licensed inspector. Some states require them but Arizona does not. Nevertheless, it’s definitely worth the $200 to $300 investment to ensure there are not any major problems like wood rot, termite damage, etc. in the Scottsdale home that need addressing.

Now we could go on and give you many reasons why we think Scottsdale home inspections are necessary but the best way to make our point is to tell you a story.

(We are not partnered with or endorse specific firms. As a Scottsdale realtor, I want you to be happy in your new home. A home inspection will make you aware of any problems before you sign on the dotted line so you won’t be left footing the entire bill for major repairs.)

Let me tell you about Judy, a veteran buyer of homes in Scottsdale. She’s purchased, renovated and remodeled many homes in the area…suffice to say that she and her husband know a lot about houses.

But one day, she fell in love with a particular home in Scottsdale and just had to have it. Since she had purchased many homes before, she didn’t hire an inspector. Judy closed on the house, paying the full asking price.

Then the nightmare began

After closing on a Scottsdale home, any problems are yours to deal with unless it falls under a limited home warranty plan. In Judy’s case, problems started right away.

First, the light fixture over the kitchen stove did not work so she went and purchased a new light bulb. When that didn’t work, Judy took the fixture down only to discover that there was no electrical wiring going to the fixture. In fact, there were several outlets in the Scottsdale home that were not connected!

So, off to fix the wiring…but while crawling around in the attic, she found a nest of carpenter ants that were in the process of demolishing the beams above the second story ceiling.

Next, after examining it more closely, Judy found the carpet in the living room and master bedroom was wavy so she hired a carpet place to re-stretch it. After they were done, the worker suggested Judy think about new carpet. Apparently the previous owners shampooed it so much because of their non-house trained dog that the backing on the carpet had come loose.

And finally the heating system, which was found to be on its last legs.

The seller claims they really didn’t need the heat the main heater put out so they simply used a couple of floor heaters in the living room. Needless to say, Judy had to spend thousands of dollars to have a new heat/AC system installed in the Scottsdale home.

I hope this illustrates why it’s important to get a home inspection before you purchase a home in Scottsdale. While Judy’s case is extreme, you will want to know what you’re walking into. If the seller is not willing to come down on their price or make the repairs, you can still walk away. Even one of these situations is too much to deal with when purchasing and moving into a home in Scottsdale.

My advice, hire a home inspector to closely examine your home. The $200-$300 investment will be worth it. And if you have any questions, please feel free to contact my Scottsdale real estate agency today.

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