By MIKE NASH GateHouse News Service
Zillow photo
When designing a new driveway, consider not only immediate factors – looks and cost – but also lasting concerns, such as maintenance and the environment.
• DRIVEWAY Continued from page 2
• Bob Vila is the home improvement expert widely known as host of TV’s “This Old House,” “Bob Vila’s Home Again,” and “Bob Vila.” Today, Vila continues his mission to help people upgrade their homes and improve their lives with advice online at BobVila.com.
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What’s inspected?
A home inspection usually takes at least two hours. The inspector will closely look at all the systems and structural elements of a home. Many buyers believe that they can use deficiencies discovered in a home inspection to renegotiate the purchase price.
See INSPECTING, page 5 Scan To Go Directly To he Kohler Group’s Website! www.KohlerProperty.com
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• Thursday, April 4, 2013
Brick is beautiful but expensive, so many homeowners don’t consider it. Of all those mentioned here, however, a brick driveway is the option most likely
to improve a home’s resale value. So, when designing your new driveway, consider not only immediate factors – looks and cost – but also lasting concerns, such as maintenance, the environment and the question of when or if you’ll move.
Once you’ve found your new home, hire a licensed home inspector to make sure it’s in tip-top shape. Most home inspections take place after you’ve negotiated a purchase contract (an offer), but in some situations, you should consider having the home inspected before you draft a real estate contract. If the home has been vacant, in foreclosure or has some visible material defects, such as cracked foundation walls, get the property inspected before drafting the contract. What you discover in a precontract inspection on a distressed property may change your mind on what you’re willing to pay for the home.
All real estate contracts contain a contingency clause allowing the buyer to do a property inspection within five to 10 business days after written acceptance. Do not waive this contingency; it gives you the opportunity to get a home’s true condition from the sharp eye of an experienced professional who has inspected hundreds of homes.
REAL ESTATE WEEKLY | Kane County Chronicle / KCChronicle.com
What to expect when inspecting
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