Home inspector

What they do

A licensed inspector spends hours on a top-to-bottom visual exam, structure, roof, foundation, electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, moisture, and hands you a written report with photos and a severity rating for each finding. It's not a pass/fail grade; it's a punch-list and a negotiating position.

When you need one

Under contract, inside your inspection contingency window, the days after your offer is accepted when you can still renegotiate or walk based on what's found.

What to look for

• Full-time and certified (for example ASHI or InterNACHI), with a sample report you can read first.
• Lets you attend, walking the house with the inspector teaches you more than the PDF.
• Experience with your kind of home, old houses, additions and condos each hide different things.

How to read the report

Read for severity, not volume. Every house generates a long list; what matters is the handful of items that are expensive, structural or safety-related, and which of those the seller will fix or credit.

Watch for

• An inspector who also wants to do the repairs, that's a conflict of interest.
• A rushed, all-boilerplate report with no photos or specifics.