Should I have a home inspection done before signing a purchase and sales agreement?
A home inspection done by professionals is a very good idea, but you don’t have to have it done before signing the offer. Make it a contingency in your offer with appropriate deadlines and specify the consequences if the inspector report has negative findings such as you can withdraw your offer or you expect the seller to make the repairs. If you are working with a realtor, they have standard clauses they can put into the offer.
As you stated the P&S has an inspection clause in it; however, I would make sure the contract states that your decision to purchase is contingent upon the inspector’s report. Look at your P&S very carefully – some contracts are time sensitive, so make sure your inspection is scheduled within enough time if you should have any minor issues that need to be resolved by the seller. Good Luck – if you should ever move to Delaware look me up.
