Buying a building is both an exciting and a nerve-wracking process. Whether you're embarking on a new business expansion, just starting out, or are moving into a new home, it's certain to be a new step in your life. However, while that may put pressure on your decision-making process, you should also allow it to strengthen you. This is an important purchase you're making, after all; why shouldn't you be cautious and take it seriously? Just one smart way of alleviating this stress is to hire yourself a building inspector to carry out a report so you know exactly what you're buying. Here are three reasons why you should consider it.

Legal Backup

In most cases, you can trust the estate agent to keep you informed about the state of the property — including its structural health and any major problems that may soon appear. However, having a building inspector prepare a report for you gives a second layer of protection. In the extremely rare event that something should be amiss with the property, you'll have your official, independent report to refer to.

Forewarning

Your report may come back entirely clear — or it may come back with a few minor issues and potential problems. Either way, you'll have a full and frank picture of the property you're buying into, and you can make an informed decision about whether those issues are manageable for you or whether you'd prefer to look for a different building to purchase. It will also allow you to budget for potential pitfalls in the future, whereas flying blind without a report would leave you exposed to unexpected costs down the line. That isn't healthy for either your bank balance or your business's bottom line — whichever it may be.

Peace of Mind

Finally, having a report like this conducted will simply reassure you that you are making a decent purchase. If the report comes back clear, that's no reason to feel that your money is being  wasted; in fact, it's quite the opposite. You've got the final confirmation you needed that this place is the right one for you, and you can relax once you've bought it, feeling confident that you won't regret this monumental, life-changing purchase. That's nothing to be sniffed at.

In essence, a building inspection report is a cross between analysis and insurance. It helps you to understand exactly what you're purchasing, and under what circumstances. As such, while it may be an additional cost and an additional step to progress through, it's certainly worthwhile on both counts.