Home inspection.
In plain English
A home inspection is a visual examination of a house by a trained inspector you hire, usually after your offer is accepted but before closing. The inspector checks the roof, foundation, plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling, and other major systems, then gives you a written report of what they found. It is not a pass-or-fail test. It is information, meant to tell you what works, what is aging, and what may cost money soon. An inspection does not estimate the home's value and does not guarantee the inspector caught every hidden problem.
01Why it matters
A few hundred dollars on an inspection can reveal a failing roof or cracked foundation that would cost tens of thousands, giving you the leverage to renegotiate or walk away before you are locked in.
02The math, step by step
You spend a few hundred dollars on an inspection of a home you are buying. The report flags an aging furnace, a minor roof leak, and outdated wiring. Armed with that, you ask the seller to repair the roof and credit you toward the furnace, or you reduce your offer. Without the inspection, you would have discovered those costs after the house was already yours.
03What this is NOT
An inspection tells you the condition of the house and works for you, the buyer. An appraisal tells the lender the home's value and works for the loan. Passing one says nothing about the other.
04Receipts
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Plain-English answers from our glossary. Receipts included. Never advice.
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