Do You Need A Home Inspection When Buying A Condo?
Do you need a home inspection when buying a condo? A condo is often thought of as a maintenance-free investment. No need to worry about the landscaping, the roof or even snow shoveling! However, the reality might be a bit different. Issues that appear in a home do not discriminate by size or type. Although exterior maintenance will be provided through a home owners association or by the condominium building owner, interior conditions are just as important to consider when purchasing a condo or apartment.
What is a home inspection?
Home inspections examine and analyze the condition of your home, both inside and out, to help make you aware of any current or potential problems or hazards. Home inspections typically include an inspection of the roof, siding, foundation and structural components. On the inside, home inspectors will examine the condition of your appliances, flooring, window & door functionality, as well as check for previous repairs and what issues may have affected your home in the past. Home inspections for condos & apartments are just as crucial to potential buyers as a home inspection for a single-family home is!
What about the common elements?
Common Elements are the exterior, structural parts of your condo. This includes things like the roof, siding, foundation and even the balcony. The condition of common elements of a condominium property will not be a part of your New Jersey home inspection. As stated above, these elements are maintained by the land or building owner. Luckily for you, any issues with these will not cost you directly. However, you will need to look over the condo/HOA documents and pay attention to the reserves, fees, and special assessments to make sure that your HOA fees will not go up in the event of an issue with the building.
In short, the answer to your question, Do you need a home inspection when buying a condo?, is ABSOLUTELY! A condo inspection is essential to potential buyers. These condo inspection empower the purchaser and help them understand the health and condition of the property before signing any dotted line!
Contact Your Home Inspector LLC today
Contact our team at Your Home Inspector LLC today to learn more about our Mahwah NJ home inspection company. We welcome the opportunity to help you understand what to expect from the condo inspection process. Let our knowledge and experience serve as your guide, explaining why you need a home inspection when buying a condo.