Real estate experts warn home buyers not to skip out on inspections

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Sondra Richard, a local realtor, shows more homes virtually amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’re looking through this home and everything looks great, don’t it,” Richard said.

But Richard warns looks can often be deceiving.

“You want to make sure you hire a professional inspector that can put their hands on [everything] and make sure really that you’re not buying a lemon,” Richard said.

The Louisiana Board of Home Inspectors recently expressed concerns, suggesting many homebuyers may be skipping one of the most important steps of buying a home.

“We are seeing an uptick in video showings and we are encouraging home buyers to make sure they get the proper home inspection where somebody physically goes out,” said Ashley van der Meulen, 1st Congressional District Representative for the Louisiana State Board of Home Inspectors.

Inspectors can catch big problems like if outlets are not working properly or if there are problems with the home’s AC. The board also said if someone tries to offer you a virtual inspection, even during COVID, run.

“You cannot not do a virtual home inspection. It is a visual inspection of the property; you can’t properly get that done virtually,” said Morgan Spinosa, chief operating officer for the Louisiana State Board of Home Inspectors.

A home inspection from a licensed inspector costs about $300. But opting out of that home inspection could cost you a lot more in the future.

“I’ve seen a lot of things break after someone gets in the home and then they are just out of luck,” Richard said. “You need to have that inspection done because if you don’t, then your home warranty might not cover it either.”

Richard says getting that inspection could also help your pockets before closing on your dream home.

“They are the ones that have got to tell the buyer that this is my professional opinion and they put it in writing so that the buyer can go back to the seller and the listing agent and negotiate those issues,” Richard said.

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