Home Inspection: Diagnosing the Ailments of a House

No home is perfect. Even a newly constructed residence can have flaws. It is not so much the issue of a place having flaws but the impact of the flaw. For instance how serious is the problem, does it pose a health or safety risk, and what are the costs to repair or replace the problem?
A home inspector can help protect you by performing a visual review of the dwelling to identify these issues and to help you to know the level of impact of the flaw.
Buying a home is a costly investment. It can be even more costly if you unknowingly buy a residence that has serious flaws that you do not know about because you did not have it inspected. Also important is the quality and skill of the service professional that you hire. The person you choose should have proper training, be licensed in the state where the property is located and should have skill at identifying potential problems and the level of potential impact of the problem.
Ideally the service should be provided by a skilled professional but there are inspectors who are better at their trade than others.
You are putting the safety of your dwelling and your finances in the hands of the inspector you select. This is because items that are missed during an inspection can sometimes affect the safety of the people living there. And also any repair or replacement can be costly but some can be very expensive.
For example, what if the dwelling has an accessible attic and the professional did not go up and visually review the area. It is possible that a major roofing issue would show itself in the attic and yet not anywhere else on the premises. This person would have missed reporting on a potentially expensive issue.
Protect yourself by making sure that the person you are hiring is a qualified and licensed inspector.
A home inspector will check out the structure from your foundation to your roof. He will look out for electrical problems, plumbing problems, issues with equipment, and much more. He will check out the basement and accessible attic space.
The service professional will be looking for problems, previous problems that have may have been hidden and for potential problems. Afterwards, he will give you the full details of his findings in a detailed inspection report. This should include digital photos to document the findings.
If you attend the inspection you will be able to ask questions and get answers about the property. The service professional should be able to show you a lot about the house including the routine maintenance you will need to do on the place.
After you review the report and the information provided to you it will be your decision what to do with this information. You may decide to proceed with the purchase as-is, you may decide to negotiate to cover some of the repairs or replacement, or you may decide not to proceed based on the findings provided in the report. There is no pass or fail in a home inspection. There is information that is provided so that you can make an informed decision.
If only minor issues are noted during the process then you get to have the peace of mind that you have made a sound investment decision. You will know that you and your family will be safe and so will be your finances. A home inspection can provide you the assurance you want when buying a home.