I learned from experience that it is a tremendous mistake to close on a homeowner loan prior to having a home inspection first. Too many times we can get drawn into a false sense of believing that the property is perfect just because it looks great on the outside. Everyone wants to avoid the mistake of buying a home and finding out that major items stop working properly. My wife and I learned through our own nightmare that we ended up having to buy a new HVAC system and that every time it rained our basement flooded.

Don't just select someone from the telephone book to do your home inspection since it could be an incredibly important part of buying your first home. Despite the fact that they stand behind their work, we found out just a few years after we moved in that our roof was bad and needed replacing. Since we didn't have a home inspection we couldn't ask for them to replace it prior to closing on our homeowner loan, or at least get some type of compensation. In addition, things like a cracked foundation are very hard to detect by an armature, and unfortunately will set you back thousands to repair later. Bailing water out of our basement was the way I found out how important a home inspection was prior to closing on our homeowner loan.

An even more common thing today would be the fact mold and mildew is showing up more and more in homes. Never hire a home inspector that doesn't have some knowledge of detecting this. Not caring now about it will cost you thousands later when you are stuck with your home until it is removed. If you discover that your house has some it will be kiss of death. Run and never look back if the potential home you want has mold or mildew in it. End the purchase contract and apply your homeowner loan to a different home, once you find it.

Ensure you are with your inspector when they go through your home. This gives you comfort knowing that they went over every part of the property. Personally I think you should ask lots of questions as you cover the property. Are they looking up into the attic, in the crawl space underneath the home, the electrical wiring, the plumbing, the water heater, etc.? Have they walked the entire roof checking for any signs of leaking or soft spots? Just go with them and make sure they check everything.

Nothing in the world could make more sense than to assure yourself by having a home inspection that your home is going to be ok. Again, it is worth it for peace of mind. So as you get closer and closer to closing on your homeowner loan, do the smart thing and put this in as a contingency.