Let’s talk about my fav part of any real estate transaction, inspection. Yep, you heard me right, my fav part. But for real, having a home inspection is by far the most crucial part of buying a home. You need to know what’s going on with the space before you spend big bucks to call it yours!
A home inspection will cost anywhere from $400-$600 based on the home’s square footage. However, there are two add-ons that I feel are non-negotiable.
- Radon Test – Radon is a sassy gas that is all over Colorado. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. So having your future home tested for this gas is a no-brainer! Thankfully a radon test is super simple to do! It takes 2 days and does hourly air tests to get an overall radon reading. At the end of the 2 days, you will get an overall reading of the space. The EPA says that any home needs to be under 4 picocuries (pCi/L). If the radon levels are over 4 picocuries (pCi/L), don’t worry; it’s easily mitigable! The test only costs $175, so for me, everyone should always test for radon!
- A Sewer Scope – I think I have said this about a million times, but boy, oh boy, are sewer scopes necessary! A sewer scope is a video of the sewer lines that run from the home to the city tap. Any holes, breaks, or cracks in the line damage the integrity of the sewer. A sewer line spot repair or full replacement can go from a few thousand to over $15K. A sewer scope is only $135 and IMO, the best money you can spend!
So when you are working through the contract process, make sure you don’t skip the important stuff like a sewer scope and radon test. And don’t worry, I’ve got all the contacts you need to take care of your inspection items!
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