Pre-Purchase Inspection · San Miguel de Allende
Pre-Purchase Home Inspection
in San Miguel de Allende
In Mexico, you inspect before you make the offer — not after. Before you commit to a 100–300-year-old colonial home, our architect-led inspection tells you exactly what you're buying, documented in English, so you negotiate with facts instead of hope.
Why It Matters in SMA
A beautiful colonial home can hide expensive surprises.
Buying in San Miguel is not like buying back home. There is no mandatory seller disclosure, the homes are often centuries old, and what looks charming can hide six figures of problems. An inspection before you offer is the difference between a dream and a money pit.
No mandatory disclosure
Unlike the US or Canada, Mexican sellers are not required to disclose defects. What you do not check, you inherit — and pay for.
100–300-year-old structures
Settling foundations, adobe and cantera load-bearing walls, and decades of informal repairs hide behind fresh paint. We see past the staging.
Moisture, the silent expense
Failed roof waterproofing, rising damp, and salitre are endemic here — and among the costliest problems to discover after you own the home.
Inspect before you offer
In SMA the smart move is inspecting before you commit — so you can walk away, or negotiate the price down with a documented report in hand.
What We Inspect
We Check Every Major System
Our architect-led inspection evaluates every critical system of a San Miguel colonial home — the ones that cost the most to get wrong.
Foundation & Structure
Cracks, settling, load-bearing adobe and cantera walls
Roof & Drainage
Leaks, drainage, terrace and rooftop waterproofing
Electrical Systems
Panel capacity, wiring, outlets, and grounding
Plumbing
Pipes, pressure, water heater, cistern and tinaco
Dampness & Mold
Rising damp, salitre, and moisture in colonial walls
Cantera & Stonework
Structural integrity of stone arches, columns, and walls
HVAC & Ventilation
AC units, heating, and air quality
Prior Renovations
Informal or unpermitted work hidden behind finishes
How It Works
Five Steps to a Confident Offer
From scheduling to your final review — clear, professional, and communicated entirely in English, even if you are still abroad.
Schedule
Contact us via WhatsApp, phone, or email — from anywhere. We confirm a date within 24 hours, around your offer timeline.
On-Site Inspection
Our architect-led specialist personally inspects the property, evaluating every major system in detail.
Photo Documentation
Every finding is photographed and documented in real time — your eyes on the ground, even from abroad.
English PDF Report
You receive a comprehensive, photo-documented report in English within 48 hours, with repair priorities and budget estimates.
Review & Next Steps
We walk you through the findings by video call or in person — so you can offer, renegotiate, or walk away with confidence.
What's in Your Report
The Facts You Need Before You Commit
Your inspection report is built to do one thing: let you make a confident decision on a major purchase — and use it as leverage at the negotiating table.
Full written report in clear English — no translation needed
Photo documentation of every significant finding
Condition of each major system, plainly explained
Repair priorities: urgent · recommended · monitor
Estimated budget ranges for the work each finding needs
A video-call or in-person walkthrough of the results
Honest guidance: a sound buy, a negotiation, or a walk-away
Architect-Led
From $450 USD
Final price varies by property size. Message us for an exact quote.
This is not a checklist by a generalist. Architect Gustavo Jiménez leads the inspection — someone who understands how colonial structures are actually built, and where they actually fail.
Schedule Your InspectionAfter Your Inspection
Found Issues? We Can Fix Them.
The advantage of an architect-led team: once you know what a home needs, we can handle the repairs too — one trusted team, no chasing contractors.
What Our Clients Say
Real Experiences. Real Peace of Mind.
I purchased my home in San Miguel and Gustavo completed a home inspection and assessment so I could make an offer that was fair to me and fair to the seller. After purchasing the home Gustavo developed a work plan to complete all the renovations. The project was on-time, on-budget and exceeded my expectations.
Gustavo has proven repeatedly that he knows how to manage a project by bringing the right team. They work until it is done right. He works tirelessly to design and redesign until the customer is happy in the end.
Frequently Asked
Pre-Purchase Inspection FAQ
Do houses really get inspected before buying in Mexico?
They should — but many buyers skip it, and regret it. There is no mandatory seller disclosure in Mexico, so a pre-purchase inspection is your only reliable way to know the true condition of a colonial home before you commit your money.
Can I inspect a home before making an offer?
Yes — and in San Miguel that is exactly what we recommend. Unlike the US, where inspections usually happen after an accepted offer, inspecting first lets you offer with confidence, negotiate the price with a documented report, or walk away before you are committed.
How much does a home inspection cost in San Miguel de Allende?
From $450 USD, with the final price depending on the size and complexity of the property. That is in line with — often below — what a comparable inspection costs in the US or Canada, for a far older and more complex home.
I am still in the US/Canada — can you do this remotely for me?
Yes. This is one of the most common situations we handle. We inspect on-site, document everything with photos, deliver the report in English, and walk you through it by video call. We become your eyes on the ground.
How fast do I get the report?
Within 48 hours of the inspection. We know inspections often happen against an offer deadline, so we move quickly and confirm the schedule around your timeline.
What does the report actually tell me?
The condition of every major system, photo-documented, in clear English — with repair priorities (urgent, recommended, monitor) and estimated budget ranges. Enough to make a confident decision and to negotiate.
What are the biggest risks in a colonial home here?
Most often: foundation settling, failed roof and terrace waterproofing, rising damp and salitre, outdated ungrounded electrical, old galvanized plumbing, and prior informal renovations done without permits. We check all of it.
Who leads the inspection?
Architect Gustavo Jiménez leads it. That matters: a colonial home needs someone who understands how these structures are actually built and where they fail — not a generic checklist inspector.
I am paying all cash — do I still need an inspection?
Even more so. With no mortgage lender requiring one and no seller disclosure protecting you, an all-cash buyer carries all the risk alone. An inspection is the one safeguard fully in your control.
What if the inspection finds problems?
Then it just paid for itself. You can renegotiate the price with the report as leverage, walk away from a bad buy, or move forward knowing exactly what the home needs — and we can handle those repairs afterward if you want.
Buy With Confidence
Know exactly what you are buying before you offer.
Architect-led pre-purchase inspection, full English report in 48 hours, from $450 USD. Available this week — reach us on WhatsApp.
