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When is a building inspection required?

You're in an important phase of your life. You're exploring the possibilities of a new home. Such a big step in life comes with a lot to consider. What should you really research? When should you have a building inspection performed? And how can you ensure you don't make a mistake or a bad purchase? On this page, we'll focus on having a building inspection performed. Specifically, we'll discuss when to have one performed. Before, during, or after negotiations? We'll outline the options for you.

Why a building inspection?

Let's first briefly consider the usefulness of a building inspection. After all, you already have enough (paperwork) to worry about when you're buying a new house. Your mortgage needs to be arranged, everything needs to be arranged for the notary. Perhaps your old house still needs to be sold. And so on. Besides, you might think, "I can see wood rot myself, can't I?" However, it's important to remember that experts know exactly what to look for, but they also have the right measuring equipment to make precise diagnoses about the condition of your potential future home.

These experts are precisely the ones who can identify defects you wouldn't (quickly) discover yourself. In some cases, repairing the defects can involve significant costs. This can even lead to you deciding, or being forced to decide, not to buy the house in question.

Who carries out the inspection?

So, having a building inspection performed is incredibly important. Before we delve into when a building inspection should be performed, let's first explain a little more about the experts who conduct these inspections.

In our case, these are the experts affiliated with Homekeur BV. We have an extensive network with nationwide coverage. We operate completely independently and are therefore 100% committed to providing you with an honest report on the structural condition of your home, so you have a clear foundation for making your choice.

Our experts are all thoroughly trained and, of course, have the correct qualifications to inspect your potential future home as experts.

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When is a building inspection required?

When should you have a building inspection performed? This brings us to the core of this page. There are several conceivable scenarios for when a building inspection is required:

  • Before you make an offer
  • When you are in negotiation
  • After you've signed the purchase contract, we'll briefly explain these three options.

Before you make an offer

Seemingly a good option. But not (always) realistic. Given the housing market, there are multiple competitors, and you want to act decisively. Of course, it would be great if you could incorporate the considerations from the building inspection report into your offer. But in practice, that's not a feasible option.

When you are in negotiation

In practice, having an inspection performed before submitting an offer is therefore only feasible in rare cases. However, you can schedule the inspection to coincide with the three-day cooling-off period you legally have after signing the preliminary purchase agreement. If the inspection reveals significant defects during that period, you are free to cancel the purchase.

After the purchase contract has been signed

The third option is to have the building inspection carried out after you've already signed the purchase agreement. However, you must then include the building inspection as a condition precedent. This could stipulate, for example, that the purchase will not proceed if it turns out that costs exceed €2,500 (you can set the amount yourself) for the so-called structural defects.

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Would you like to make an appointment for a building inspection?

The cost of a building inspection (up to 250 m²) is only €489 including VAT. We'll conduct a comprehensive building inspection and you'll receive a building report. Do you have any questions? We're happy to help and can schedule an appointment with an expert inspector right away if you wish!

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