I have been burned by bad home inspections. More than once. The kind of burned where you're standing in your newly purchased house three months after closing, staring at a problem that should have been caught, doing the mental math on how much this is about to cost you, and seriously questioning your life choices.
So when I tell you to take your home inspection seriously, I'm not repeating some generic advice I read on a blog. I'm speaking from the specific, expensive, infuriating experience of learning this lesson the hard way.
Most Buyers Treat the Inspection Like a Formality
Here's what typically happens. You find a house you love. You make an offer. The offer gets accepted and you're riding high on excitement. Then your agent says "we need to get the inspection scheduled" and you say "sure, whatever, set it up." The inspector comes, spends two to three hours walking through the house, hands you a 40 page report full of photos and technical language, and you skim it looking for anything that says "the house is going to fall down."
If nothing says that, you move forward. You might ask the seller to fix a couple of things. Maybe you negotiate a small credit. And then you close and move in and cross your fingers.
This approach will cost you money. Not might. Will. The question is just how much.
The Big Ticket Items You Need to Understand
Not all inspection findings are created equal. A loose doorknob is a $5 fix. A cracked foundation can be $15,000 or more. You need to know the difference, and you need to know what questions to ask.
Foundation. This is the one that scares me the most because it's the most expensive to fix and the easiest to miss. Hairline cracks in a basement wall are usually cosmetic and not a big deal. Horizontal cracks, stair step cracks in brick, or doors and windows that stick or won't close properly can indicate the foundation is shifting. If the inspector flags anything related to the foundation, get a structural engineer out there for a second opinion before you close. Do not skip this. I cannot stress this enough.
Roof. Ask the inspector how old the roof is and what condition it's in. A roof replacement runs $8,000 to $15,000 depending on the size of the house and the materials. If the roof has five years of life left, that's a major expense you need to budget for. If there are missing shingles, visible sagging, or signs of water damage in the attic, those are red flags that need a roofer's evaluation, not just the general inspector's opinion.
HVAC. Heating and cooling systems last 15 to 20 years if they're maintained, and a new system costs $5,000 to $12,000. Ask when the system was last serviced. Ask the inspector to check if it's heating and cooling effectively. A system that "works" but is 18 years old is a ticking clock.
Plumbing. Old galvanized steel pipes, visible corrosion, low water pressure, or slow drains can all signal plumbing issues that range from annoying to catastrophic. If the house is older than 1970 and hasn't had its plumbing updated, get a plumber to scope the main sewer line. That costs about $200 to $400 and can save you from a $10,000 sewer replacement surprise.
Electrical. An outdated electrical panel, aluminum wiring, or a house that doesn't have enough circuits for modern use are all common issues in older homes. Electrical work isn't cheap, and bad electrical is a fire hazard. If the panel is a Federal Pacific or Zinsco brand, that's a known safety issue that insurance companies sometimes refuse to cover.
Signs Someone Is Hiding Something
This is where my personal experience really kicks in. After getting burned, I started paying attention to the subtle signs that a seller is trying to cover up a problem rather than fix it.
Fresh paint in only one room, especially a basement or a room that borders an exterior wall. Why did they paint just that one space? Often it's to cover water stains or mold damage. If you see one freshly painted room in a house that otherwise hasn't been updated, ask questions.
New carpet over old floors in specific areas. Same logic. What's under there? Sometimes it's just ugly hardwood. Sometimes it's water damage or subfloor rot.
A strong smell of air freshener or candles during the showing. You're supposed to think "wow, this place smells nice." What you should think is "what are they covering up?" Musty smells usually mean moisture problems, and moisture problems mean mold.
"As-is" language in the listing. This doesn't always mean the house is a disaster, but it does mean the seller has decided they don't want to deal with whatever the inspection finds. That should make you more careful, not less. It means they know there are issues and they've priced accordingly, or they're hoping you won't look too closely.
Show Up to the Inspection
I mean this literally. Be physically present when the inspector is doing their work. Walk through the house with them. Ask questions about everything they're looking at. A good inspector will explain what they're seeing and why it matters. A bad inspector will rush through and give you a surface level report.
While you're there, ask these questions: What are the three biggest concerns you have about this house? If this were your money, would you buy it? What would you want fixed before closing? Is there anything here that needs a specialist to evaluate?
These questions force the inspector to give you their honest professional opinion, not just a checkbox report. And their answers will tell you a lot about whether this house is a solid purchase or a future headache.
Cosmetic vs. Structural: Know the Difference
First time buyers often get hung up on cosmetic issues and overlook structural ones. Ugly wallpaper, dated light fixtures, a bathroom that hasn't been updated since 1994. None of that matters. Those are things you can change on your own timeline for relatively little money.
What matters is everything behind the walls. The foundation, the roof, the plumbing, the electrical, the HVAC. These are the systems that keep the house standing and functioning, and they're the things that cost five figures to repair when they fail.
A house with ugly countertops and a solid foundation is a good buy. A house with granite countertops and a cracked foundation is a money pit with nice surfaces. Don't let aesthetics distract you from the bones.
What to Do When the Inspection Finds Problems
You have three options when the inspection reveals issues, and which one you choose depends on the severity.
For minor stuff, you negotiate. Ask the seller to fix it before closing or provide a credit so you can fix it yourself. Most sellers will agree to reasonable repair requests because they want the deal to close too.
For major stuff, you need to decide whether the cost of repairs changes the math on the whole purchase. If the house needs a $12,000 roof and the seller won't come down on price, is it still a good deal at the higher effective cost? Sometimes it is. Sometimes it isn't. Run the numbers honestly.
And for deal breakers, structural issues that the seller won't address, evidence of ongoing water intrusion, mold behind the walls, you walk away. Getting your earnest money back because of a failed inspection contingency is a hell of a lot cheaper than buying a house that needs $50,000 in work you didn't budget for.
Your inspection contingency exists for a reason. Use it. That's not being difficult. That's being smart.