2006-10-20 02:36:06 · 3 answers · asked by willie c 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
For many residential properties in the US, a FREE way to get a ballpark estimate of your home's worth is to visit www.zillow.com
You can punch up your address and see an estimate of the home's worth. This is done by comparing comparable recent sales of other homes in your area of similar feature makeup.
As for a home inspector - this is a hit or miss purchase. Expect to pay between $200 and $450 depending on where the property is. You should get a several hour inspection by someone who will look at the roof (meaning that they actually climb into the roof with a ladder and inspect it), grading, gutters, windows, electrical, plumbing, appliances, drywall, basement, etc. etc. etc. Make sure the person is certified in your state (although some states do not have a certification for this). I've had the best luck with older guys who are semi-retired, but used to be a general contractor earlier in their careers.
Really good inspectors will: (1) pop off the main electrical service panel to try to find any lurking issues, (2) be familiar with gas, electric, plumbing, and construction codes in your area, etc.
Be suure to accompany your inspector as he/she makes the inspection. More apt to be able to immediately point things out and explain any issues.
If the yellow pages fail you, call several local area real estate agents to get a short list of names of people they use. Use the information above to quiz them by phone so you can narrow down the list.
Good luck.
2006-10-20 02:56:51 · answer #1 · answered by firm_shake 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
An appraiser will look at the home and give a price that the home is worth. This involves factoring in the size of the home, the age, how it's been maintained, the schools in the district, the neighborhood and what comparable houses in the area are selling for. An inspector looks for maintenance problems. Is there evidence of a leaky roof? What kind of shape is the wiring/plumbing in? How old is the HVAC system? Is the foundation solid? What the inspector finds will factor in to what price the appraiser decides. In car lingo, the appraiser would set the Blue Book value and the inspector is the mechanic you have look over a used car before you buy it.
2016-03-18 22:10:14 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
just go to any of your computers search engines and type in home inspectors and it will display a multitude of resources,then pick one by your state and location and it will give you a list of there homepages/websites. a home of 2400 square ft. or less average inspection cost is about 275 bucks for a complete roof to cellar and garage , plus pavement ,driveways and yard area.
2006-10-21 00:13:17 · answer #3 · answered by donley z 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋