The home inspection is an important part of the homebuying or selling process. If you’re a homebuyer, a home inspection will help protect you against buying a house with significant defects, like a bad foundation or leaky roof. As a home seller, a pre-listing home inspection will help you see all the repairs you’ll need to make before you put it on the market, which helps with a smoother closing and faster sale. Read on to find out more about home inspections.

What is a home inspection?

A certified home inspector will take a close look at all functional aspects of the house to determine its safety as a dwelling. The home inspector will test the operational status of all major systems – plumbing, electrical, heating, and cooling – and check the roof, the foundation, and the home’s exterior. The inspector’s job is not to fix or warn you about potential issues but to take note of the house’s current condition at that point in time and any safety or repair concerns.

When does the home inspection happen during the buying process?

When the seller accepts your offer to purchase the home, the agreement becomes a pending sale. During the next couple of weeks, your lender will want to verify the value and condition of the house. This is when the lender orders an appraisal, and in some cases, an inspection – or you may choose to hire a home inspector yourself if the bank does not require an inspection.

If you’re buying a home in a competitive housing market and are up against multiple offers, you may be tempted to waive the home inspection to make your offer stronger. However, this is almost never a good idea. While the house may look in fine condition to you, it’s what’s beyond the surface, or factors that you don’t know are problematic, that can cause the biggest issues.

How do you choose and hire a home inspector?

Home inspectors are trained professionals but that doesn’t mean they all see the same problems the same way. You want to choose a reputable inspector who will look out for your best interests but also understands your wants and needs for the home. Ask your real estate agent to recommend a few inspectors they have worked with in the past, people they trust to give you a fair and honest report. You can also ask friends and family for recommendations, or check out ratings and reviews of home inspectors in Open Book, Redfin’s resource for service providers.

How much does it cost for a home inspection?

A typical home inspection can cost anywhere from $200 – $500, with the national average sitting right around $336. This may seem like an unnecessary expense, but a thorough home inspection can save you from an unwise purchase and possibly costly repairs in the future. Put another way, the home inspection fee is an investment in peace of mind. Buying a new home is stressful enough, so you can take comfort in the knowledge that the roof or furnace is not likely to present you with any costly surprises in the short term.