We had a final walk through on our new home, although we visited the site many times during building. We did find an exhaust fan that was not working. In hindsight we would have taken a nightlight with us to check all the outlets, although I believe they did all work. Another thing that we found out after the warranty had expired was that the pre-wire for the garage door was not functional.

full property inspection and termite inspection. noted item in full insp. caused me to then have air cond, heat system inspec. noted item in that report caused seller to fix a problem.

I knew I was buying a "fixer upper" but had a structural inspection done as advised by my RE agent. The result was that the concrete roof needed to be replaced, which knocked a good chunk off the purchase price.

Full home inspection, termite, mold/ air quality, radon.

Don't forget a sewer scope and an underground environmental if buying an older home which may have a buried oil tank. Both of these not normally done by a home inspector. also we like to look at county growth/city growth plans with regards to roads and adjacent property zoning and potential concerns. in our area you can see online citations given to property owners for burden items such as neglect, trash, and noise complaints.

I wish I'd done a RADON inspection. It's all too often overlooked and it can cause health issues.

Our home was newly built in New Berlin Wisconsin and we did have a Radon inspection before moving in...so glad we did!

Had both a full contracted house inspection and a separate FHA inspection. Both inspectors missed hanging asbestos shreds from ducts that had been cut off at the basement ceiling and a major structural flaw (3-flue brick chimney hanging unsupported in the first story walls). Talked to an attorney about rescinding the deal, but no buyer protection in ND at that time.

Many skip inspections thinking it will save them money only to find out later on they had costly repairs and no recourse, but always read the fine print not all inspections are the same!!!

Full home inspection, termite, radon and a structural inspection for crack in basement.

Dont forget to fill up jetted bathtubs to see if the hot water tank is sufficient, that the jets work and dont leak. We found out after installing hardwood in the bedroom that the jetted tub leaked. Not fun.

All three of my sons had full home inspections. Besides a few minor problems, which were nothing of much importance, non of the three inspections found any of the major problems with the houses. I personally think inspections are a waste of money

I agree in having a full inspection. Some little things that can be troublesome in an older home is the functioning of windows (large) opening and closing properly. Plug outlets that are my worn out. Visual details that may be overlooked. Be particular, unless you are willing to live with it or it's on your honey do list.

None

I think we had the water tested before hand and radon shortly after moving in. I had a friend who is a building inspector come and look the house over....but no official inspection with the county or township. We purchased directly from the previous owner...no real estate agent involved. Never had any issues in 12 years!

Full Home Inspection but there was mine subsidence (abandoned coal mine collapses impacting everything above it) in the condo complex that was not disclosed to me until after the deal was done. My furniture hadn't even arrived when i found out. No recourse since it didn't impact my home at the time.

Was laid off in June 3 years later and offered a job out of state. Put my home on the market and the complex suffered a recurrence the Saturday before my first open house and this time it impacted every condo in the complex which had to be disclosed. It didn't help that my neighbors were telling people as they got out of the car to see the place. Sold my home for 40,000 less than what I owed. And to add insult to injury, the insurance policy wasn't paid until a year after the occurrence and would only be paid to owner at the time of the payout so of course the bank decided they need to foreclose one month before the payment was due to happen. I ended up selling it and it closed 5 days before the foreclosure was scheduled. The new owner was probably able to pay off the loan with the insurance payment.

"As Is" sale. Full home and termite...but the inspector was, to be kind, incompetent. Said the roof was fine (nope!) and that the irrigation system was working (and nope!). We knew the roof was old and would need to be replaced, but it was sooner (happening right now) rather than the later we planned. The irrigation system not working was a shock, and needed an expensive fix. If we had known, we would still have bought the house, but the negotiations would have been a bit more aggressive. We didn't over pay, and thankfully we did budget for reno and "surprises", but still. Not enough to sue the previous owners (lack of disclosure on the irrigation) or the inspector. But we will not use or recommend the inspection company.

I opted out of an inspection because I just couldn't afford the $500. Worst decision of my life. As I have lived in the house for about 6 months now i am finding the the roof leaks, the foundation is bad, there was termite damage. Rats had lived in the attic and made a huge mess. Overall if I could do it again I would have done the inspection because that $500 saved is going to cost me a lot more in the long run. You can't trust real estate people at all. they lie to make a sale every time. The flipper of the house told me there was nothing wrong with the place. Well truth be known there is basically nothing right with the place and I have been royally screwed.

Generally, home buyers tend to think the cost of a home inspection is only worth it if something "wrong" is found. And if something "wrong" isn't found during inspection but later on then buyers tend to say it was a waste of money and the inspector wasn't good. It's pretty much the same toward doctors and having a physical.

Home inspections should be considered a guard against the apparent (or obvious) of what is detectable. Sellers are often adept at hiding the signs of many problems. Some problems can only be detected under certain, temporary conditions (ie. during or immediately after rain).

OH BOY- I did it all wrong, lol, and the kicker is that I knew it. I bought the house over the internet. I was in California, the house is in Missouri. I did not even see the house in person. I had the real estate agent set up the inspection. Of course it passed with flying colors. After arriving and finding the inspection was a joke. I called the inspector back. My first question was "Are you blind"? When he said "NO" I had him come back out and he agreed that he missed many things. I did get my inspection money returned. I did have a termite report done by the same real estate person. At least that inspection was accurate;)

@actoteria....my problem isn't with an inspector not seeing things that weren't visible. It was with him missing things that were very visible. He missed very visible mold growing on a basement wall. He missed a crack glass on a window. That was just I one house. My sons both both homes within 6 months of each other and both inspectors missed major problems with the houses. They are NOT worth the money.

@marylise....okay, your inspectors are NOT worth the money. Not everyone marries their first girlfriend/boyfriend....doesn't mean everyone of that gender sucks.

had inspection upon offer letter. don't know what to do with it as I have no idea of costs of repairing the info listed. are there national norms or something I can use? structural crack, plumbing leaks in bathrooms.a/c over 20 years old but working.water heaters over 20 years. etc

Where I live. (Ski area in Vt) most inspectors are recommended by the realtors. If they tell the truth and blow or slow the sale then they don't get recommended again. I've seen over a hundred places that the paperwork from the inspector wasn't even close. Lots of times people think they are stealing a place because the price has dropped so much....when really an other 20% off would be fairer.

I would have every basic utility inspected. That includes plumbing, HVAC, and electricity. In addition, I would also second the comments that suggest getting a mold inspection. If you discover mold growing, talk to the seller or previous owner about it. That's more out of safety than anything else. Good luck to you, Emily! http://www.envirotech-inc.com/hazardous-materials/