As a prospective home owner, one of the best ways you can protect yourself is by getting a home inspection on the home you decide to buy. After all, your home is probably the biggest investment you'll make. By spending a tiny fraction of the purchase price, you can have a professional assessment of your home (neither buyers or their agents are qualified to perform an inspection).
You want to ensure you're not buying a "The Money Pit", (or if you do, that you're going into it forewarned - while the movie was funny, the reality is not). You don't need the hassle of thousands and thousands of dollars of unexpected repairs. Also, FHA and VA have some structural and repair requirements that must be met if you're financing through those programs.
You certainly don't want any safety issues. Fires, explosions, and rotten floors will take the joy right out of home ownership.
Are there times when you want to skip a home inspection? We don't recommend it. It's a very small 
investment, and will help give you piece of mind, even if the inspector finds nothing wrong.
It's even wise to have an independent inspection on a brand new home. Doesn't the Regional Building department inspect your home? Well, yes... and no. Those inspections can be very cursory, and some serious defects could be missed. You have more leverage to get problems fixed before you close on your home, even if you have a builder warranty.
Ken and Sandy Wickham, the authors of this article, are REALTORS® with RE/MAX Real Estate Group in Colorado Springs, CO, and they welcome your real estate inquiries. To contact them, visit their website.
