Why is a Home Inspection Necessary?

In the past, home inspection was not offered in Costa Rica on a formal basis. Many realtors would hire a building contractor or someone in the engineering or architectural field to review a home that was up for sale, but usually only if the client requested it.

Without an inspection, one might assume that, since everything looks fine, it is. However, there can be some very interesting surprises. Although there are strict building codes in Costa Rica, many older homes and some of the newer ones (those unfortunately built by questionable contractors) may not include many provisions such as hot water at the kitchen sink or in the wash room or maid's quarters, etc.

The same applies to the electrical system. For example, only in recent years have U.S. and European style grounded wall outlets been installed in Costa Rican buildings. As a result, the electrical cables may be up to code in the visible areas but not in the hidden areas, constituting both a hazard and a hassle.

There may also be other hidden defects. One of these might be some serious settling of the house's foundation, which has caused subtle or large cracks in the walls and have been plastered over and painted so that they are nearly invisible. It takes a trained eye to spot these things.

Once detected, the defects may mean a serious additional investment to bring the house up to standard. With the inspection results, the seller will often drop the overall price of the building to cover such repairs or improvements.