A home inspection is a powerful tool that allows you to learn more about the condition of a home. If you're currently shopping around for a home and plan to buy in the near future, you should expect to invest in this service. Once you put in an offer on a home, you can also make note that you plan to do an inspection. If your offer is accepted, you can do a home inspection before you officially sign the paperwork. This is your chance to make sure that you really want to buy the home. Keep reading to learn more about home inspections: 

What Is a Home Inspection?

A home inspection is a thorough examination of a home. This service is performed by a home inspection professional. You can choose to do a basic home inspection, and you can also purchase additional add-ons to check other parts or features of your home. You can and should be present for the inspection so that you get a better look at your home and the inspector is able to explain things to you. 

How Long Is a Home Inspection?

The time-length of a home inspection varies based on the size of the home and the number of tests that you plan to do. In many cases, a home inspection takes only 2 to 3 hours. You can ask your home inspector for a time estimate before you begin.

How Much Will It Cost?

Again, this does vary based on how large the home is and what services are being checked. In most cases, you can expect to pay between $300 and $400 dollars. If you want a much larger home inspected, you can expect to pay over $500. There may be extra services, such as a radon check or a thorough pest check. You can ask your inspector what the costs for these services will be. 

Do I Need to Get a Home Inspection?

It's a good idea to get a home inspected. You can only tell so much just from looking at a home as an individual. You really want to get an expert overview of your home so that you can decide if it's a worthwhile investment or if there might be too many issues present. 

If you plan to buy a home, make sure that you look into getting a home inspection done. Your realtor may suggest a particular inspector or you can look for a home inspector, such as Top Tier Home Inspections, in your area. If you want to learn more about a home before you buy it, a home inspection is a must.