Would you buy a used car without having a mechanic give it a thorough once-over? Then you certainly wouldn’t buy a house without having a professional home inspection done first.

Taking out a mortgage and purchasing a home is likely the largest investment of your life, you should know as much as possible about what you are buying. It’s a good idea, a necessity, to have a home inspected before you make your purchase, and most purchase contracts contain provisions fora home inspection to be performed.

Many buyer-seller contracts even specify what action the buyer and seller may take if problems are uncovered (which they always are).

Choose a qualified home inspector who has experience with residential homes– contact a national or state association of home inspectors to find members in your area, and ask your real estate agent for a list of reputable home inspection companies.

A home inspector will usually examine: Exterior structural components(foundation, roof, siding, chimney); interior structural components(crawlspace, attic, flooring, ceilings); and major systems (heating,cooling, plumbing, electrical) among other things.

If you can, we would recommend you are present during the inspection so that you will have an opportunity to ask questions and see what the inspector looks at. Afterwards, you will receive an inspection report with
descriptions of any problems with the home.