A home inspection so you feel at home

Before buying an apartment or any other real estate, it is important to hire a professional to carry out a home inspection (bedek bayit). You can call in a home inspection expert, sometimes working alongside a real-estate appraiser, but the most important part of choosing that person is whether they are properly qualified: their experience, whether they have won cases against building contractors, and the reliability of the inspection company. The expert then carries out a comprehensive inspection of the home.

Home inspection: buy smart!

Buying an apartment or a house is a major financial decision, so it deserves care and thorough checks. The inspection is the most important of those checks: it uncovers a wide range of construction defects of different types and severity.

Some defects take years to become visible, and by then the repair is often expensive, sometimes no longer worthwhile. That is why it pays to have a full inspection done before you buy: you will know exactly what you are getting, instead of facing unnecessary costs later for damage that was never your fault.

What can a home inspection uncover?

A building inspection can turn up many kinds of damage and flaws. Common examples include:

• Defects in the structural frame. Minor ones become an eyesore; serious ones can turn into a safety hazard, so it matters to catch them early.
• Leaks. Leak detection is part of every inspection. Leaks and dampness leave ugly mold stains on ceilings and walls and, in severe cases, can damage the structural frame and residents' health, which is why finding them early, so they can be sealed right away, matters so much.
• Electrical or ventilation faults. These can badly disrupt daily life in an apartment, and combined with other defects such as leaks, they can even endanger residents. Catching them before the purchase helps confirm the home is actually safe.
• Cosmetic damage of every kind that an initial walk-through misses: peeling plaster, cracks, crooked walls and more. When you move into a new home, you want the experience to be flawless, and having these issues listed lets you require the seller to fix them all beforehand, so the home you get really is the best one for you.

In short: a home inspection is a check you should run before any real-estate deal. It lets you move into your new apartment with full confidence that you are making the most worthwhile purchase, and that nothing awaits you and your family but enjoyment and new experiences.