I would qualify the answer with “A Home Inspection should be worth the money!” The biggest caveat to answering your question being the qualifications and ability of the home inspector. It’s in your best interest to find and select a qualified home inspector your are comfortable with choosing based on comparable qualifying criteria.

Some states have minimal standards and requirements for home inspectors and some do not. Even with state requirements, you still need to qualify your choice in home inspectors to best ensure you are getting your money’s worth. Also, your Realtor may have some or one home inspector referral, it’s still in your best interest to screen and qualify that home inspector. Don’t assume the nicest Realtor is going to refer the best qualified inspector.

Consider this; you are relying on the professional opinion, the observation skills, technical knowledge and communication skills of someone you may interact with for only a few hours at most, in order to make an informed and confident purchase decision on a home. Are you willing to compromise your time to qualify and fee to hire a reliable and qualified home inspector professional?

Here’s are two scary, yet very real considerations:
• For states that don’t have home inspector requirements, such as Colorado, your home inspector could have NO qualifications, have served in prison for federal offense and received a Certified Home Inspector credential from the internet. And you could be hiring that person to enter another person’s home unattended. Then relying on their “professional opinion” to make a home purchase decision.
• General Liability insurance. If your inspector doesn’t carry it or an adequate coverage, YOU are generally liable since you are hiring the inspector to go on someone else’s property. What if something is stolen or damaged? Are you prepare to carry the liability because the home inspector you hired isn’t?
Fortunately, there are a few simple questions you can ask to help ensure you are getting one of the many well qualified and reputable professional home inspectors.

Questions To Ask When Choosing A Qualified Home Inspector:
1. Do they carry general liability and errors & omission (E&O) insurance?
2. What, if any, standard of practice do they base their inspections (e.g., American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI)?
3. What kind of certification, if any? ASHI Certified inspectors is the only third-party accredited certification. Some are simple online internet or correspondence courses.
4. What source & level of training, experience & education do they have?
5. How much time do they typically spend on an inspection?
6. What additional inspection techniques and tools do they use?
7. Are they impartial (e.g., independent of anyone with a financial interest in the results except the client)? Did they pay or compensate some way for the referral?
8. How do they present results? Are clients encouraged to attend the inspection?
9. What do their clients say? Do they guarantee client satisfaction?
10. How much is the fee and what is it based on? Is it competitive for the services and qualifications provided?
11. How do their qualifications compare to the price?

I hope this helps. Also see my blog (http://id-inspections.blogspot.com/) that goes into some more detail on Choosing A Qualified Homes Inspector and or our web site (http://www.id-inspections.com) for Downloadable a Worksheet to compare home inspectors with this qualifying criteria

A resounding yes and I like everyone recommend that you find a certified home inspector that is affiliated with either Nachi or Ashi. All inspectors are not the same so make sure that when you're compairing home inspectors you ask them the same questions so you can compare the answers better. Sometimes the cheapest is not the best.

Penny wise and pound foolish I think would be the cliche.

Provided you hire a certified inspector, it's worth every penny. A reputable inspector will stand behind his/her inspection should a defect be found upon taking possession. You may also want to consider purchasing a home warranty if it was not provided by Seller. In negotating the terms and conditions of an offer, you mighty ask the Seller to provide a one year home warranty at closing.

Without a doubt yes. The only exception could be new construction, but even then an inspection can fidn something (termites? etc) besides, if you are buying a house for thousands of dollars, home inspection is probably not the place to save a bit.

New construction comes with state warrantees, but it wouldn't hurt, its only about $400.

YES, every dime spent ... only way to purchase a home. Even on new construction.

Yes, absolutely. I have had some home buyers who do two home inspections so they can weigh and compare the information given by the different inspectors and make decisions from there if they want to bring in a specialist to look at an area that may have been flagged as a possible problem by one or both. Maybe overly cautious, but another scenario that I have had is when clients do the home inspection during attorney review.

I have yet to sell a home to anyone without having a professional inspection. Learning the condition of the home is a large part of the home buying process. You're investing several hundreds of thousands of dollars in a property and it's worth a couple of hundred dollars to make sure you know the true condition. Without the inspection, you could spend thousands more in fixing something you didn't know about.

Absolutely. Whether you are purchasing a home thru a builder or a resale, a home inspection will give you peace of mind moving forward with your purchase. The general cost in my area of NE Florida (Amelia Island) is approximately $350. Average this cost per day over a 5 year time line of ownership, and the peace of mind it brings you is worth pennies.

Of course the answer is yes. I am sure you would want to have a used car inspected before you purchase it to see if it is a lemon, and often we can't or don't do that and pay the price. Of course that investment is usually just a few hundred or thousand dollars. A pre-existing home has been subject to years if not decades of use and abuse by the elements. Owners may or may not know of existing problems, or have learned to live with them and don't even remember they are there. If you are buying a home, an inspection allows you to see if the wear is just normal and won't cause major concerns in the future. An inspection gives you the leverage to ask the seller to lower the price or to fix items that are seriously faulty, such as AC systems, plumbing, roof damage, termites or wood eating ants, cracked foundations, wood rot, septic systems, well water potability, etc. The home inspection is not like the extended warranty at the check out line. It is an important safeguard in your most expensive purchase.

Home inspections, when performed by a competent inspector are worth many times their cost. They can either provide peace of mind that the home is structurally and mechanically sound, or they can identify propblems that might not have been visible to the buyer. I am also a general contractor that has been in the construction trades for 26 years. Even with my experience, I always hire a home inspector on every property I or my clients purchase.

Yes a home inspector is a must! I have also had a couple of reinspections done by home inspectors to make sure the work was done properly and by liscenced professionals. It turned out to be worth the 75.00 on the reinspection too.

Home Inspections are WELL worth the money. You figure that a person is spending over a hundred thousand dollars for a home. A 300.00 home inspection is the best investment you could possibly make to ensure that what you are about to buy is worth it. That 300.00 could wind up saving you literally thousands of dollars in the long run if serious defects are found. If no defects are found in the home, it is still money well spent if for anything else, your peace of mind.

Home inspections are an important part of the home buying process. We always encourage our buyers to be present during inspections. Inspectors offer valuable information, from identifying defects and needed repairs to offering maintenance tips.

Never bought a house without one. Spend a little save a lot.

Home inspections are not only important for the potential buyer of a property, but extremely important for the seller to have an inspection prior to putting their home on the market. It's been my experience over the years to see buyer's agents produce a "laundry list" of items they want repaired or replaced before the closing. Typically, if the buyer asks for a cash adjustment rather than asking for repairs, the amount will usually be much more than the actual cost for the repairs.

Now the issue becomes a contentious one between buyer trying to get the largest cash adjustment to reduce the overall cost of the property, and the seller trying to keep as much money as was originally agreed to on the purchase contract.

What results, is a renegotiation of the purchase contract to satisfy the needs and wants of the buyer's Inspection Notice. It's human nature to ask for more, because the buyer will anticipate that the sellers will not agree to every item requested.

What a smart seller would do and a good listing agent advise, is to pre-inspect the property before putting it on the market.
By doing a pre-inspection, pre-appraisal and including a Home Warranty on the listing, the sellers will sell their property faster and for more money. We call this the "No Surprises" guarantee.

Well I counted 24 yesses and zero Noes. Just to keep it from being unanimous I will give a partial (99%) yes. --- You see I have been on dozens of inspections trailing along as the agent. - As has my wife also an agent. - Although we aren't professional home inpectors we considered ourselves to be informed and knowledgeable. We purchase a new home from a production builder. We read our 2/ 10 warranty and knew the builders strong reputation. Wife and I conducted our own thourough inspection, and saved the $400 inspection fee. We noted about 35 minor items ( a "punch list" ) and the builder quickly made the repairs. We continued to review the house quarterly for the two year warranty period. the builder honored the warrantly diligently.

I always advise my customers to hire an inspector. There have been several cases where the buyer was an experienced contractor or jouneyman tradesman and felt comfortable doing the inspection themselves, with out the need for a second opinion. - These people must sign a waiver agreeing that they have overruled my advice and have chosen to not hire an outside inspector. Those have turned out well in most cases.
This is kind of like that other trulia question should I hire a realtor or go FSBO. Should I hire an inspector. If you have to ask the question because you don't know the answer, then you need to hire an expert. - Of course I think John is just asking to get thediscussion moving.

Hi John!

Yes. Always and without exception. As a buyer, even if you are interested in an "as is" property, a home inspection is extremely important. Your agent should make sure that your offer includes wording that says your contract is contingent on your approval of the inspection. You don't want to walk into a bigger project than you planned. An inspection for a buyer is also a useful tool to plan and budget for improvements or upgrades that you may want to do in the future. Most lenders require an inspection and termite report. I would never purchase a home without an inspection, and I would never reccomend that a buyer do so.

As a seller, an inspection is an excellent tool. You may ask yourself, "why should I pay for an inspection if the buyer will most likely get one anyway?" All of my sellers have a pre-listing inspection. Knowing about and repairing any latent defects before listing is a great way to put your home on the top of a buyer's list. It shows that you have nothing to hide. Also it helps to assure that a contract will actually close. One of the worst situations is having some major problems come back on an inspection a couple of weeks before closing. Fixing these problems on short notice can be alot more expensive than if you were able to fix them when you listed your home. A buyer may actually be able to cancel their contract. You still have to disclose and fix the problem, or at the very least disclose and reduce your asking price accordingly for the next buyer. Your home now shows on the MLS that you have had a contract that was not completed and it has been taken off the market while it was under contract. Buyers and buyer's agents look at this as an opening to submit lower offers and ask for more concessions. I know that sellers want to sell their home with the lowest expenses possible, but the few hundred dollars up front that you would spend on an inspection could save you thousands in delayed and canceled closings, last minute repairs, extended days on the market, and final sales price. Remember that the goal is to sell your home for the best price in the least amount of time possible. An inspection is just one of the many tools you have at your disposal to help assure that you reach that goal.

Best of luck!

Allison Clancy

Absolutely, but understand that in Colorado there is (gulp) no licensure of home inspectors. That's right, anyone can put out their placard and start testing for gas leaks.

Who you use is critical. I see you're in Denver so the same problems could happen to you that happen down here. There is no CE for inspectors like there is for REALTORS, so getting a quality professional is a very good idea. Members of ASHI and NAHI are generally considered the professionals in the Pikes Peak Region as they meet together locally, enforce professional standards, are pro-licensure for the most part and most importantly are insured. If an inspector is not insured and is injured on the property they are inspecting for you, the Colorado contract says that they can not go after the homeowner, but that you are responsible for any inspections done on the property. You can draw the lines between those two dots on personal liability opportunities.

Get three good recommendations, make sure they are members of one of the two trade groups (or both) and that their reputation in the REALTOR community is good. What that reputation ought to be measured by is simply ethics and conduct on site, it has nothing to do with how much or how little they find. An inspector that is sloppy, late, leaves the lights on, or hostile can hurt your opportunity to negotiate repairs. The seller often feels invaded when their home is inspected, and it's amazing how a good "bedside manner" can make a "your deck is falling off the side of the house, there's no basement permit and the fireplace is leaning 8 degrees and needs structural engineer-designed repair" a lot easier to swallow.

This is perhaps the easiest question I've responed to on these boards. Would you rather risk blowing $300 on a superflous inspection or $400,000 on a lemon? You won't face possible financial ruin over $300. Unless it's your last $300. And if that's the case, what the heck are you doing buying a house? ;)

Absolutely yes. And I would also suggest a home warranty policy too. Whenever I spend the $300 for a home warranty, I get my money's worth and more.
What was interesting was when I asked for a property inspection when buying a condo in Spain. The real estate agent was shocked and maybe even offended. Homes there are bought without inspections, and most of the time without contingencies too.
Here - yes - please call the inspector.

A resounding yes, again. There were many good comments in the answers. In particular, choosing inspectors who are certified or members of a national association, attending the inspection yourself, asking questions, and having photos of any problem areas. Worth every dime, and a critical part of the home buying process.

Wow, how do I answer this question? Yes, yes, and yes!!!

Below were some VERY good responses. Please go ahead and spend the money and get a home inspection - even if it is new construction (if you are thinking of purchasing). The headaches you will save yourself later by getting a home inspection now is priceless. Sometimes being frugal with your money is NOT always wise.

Conducting a Home Inspection is one of the most important parts of the process. In Massachusetts, sellers are required to disclose any “known material defects”, but your average homeowner is not aware of most defects that don’t affect their day-to-day living. They may be aware if a window is broken or if an outlet has burnt out, but they may not know about the mold in the attic, the electrical box being wired wrong or the high levels of radon. Consult your Buyer(s) Agent for a list of reputable Inspectors in the area. If any damages are uncovered in the inspection, and you negotiate with the seller to have them repaired prior to closing, make sure you conduct a “final walk-through” prior to signing the closing papers.

Best of Luck,
Melissa Mancini, Realtor, CBR, GRI

When it comes to home inspections, you can make a little mistake or a big mistake. The little mistake is paying the cost of getting the home inspected and not finding anything wrong. The big mistake is not paying the cost of inspection and finding something wrong later. I believe if you hire a QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL Inspector that it is some of the best money you'll ever spend!!!

As I'm sure you know, John, the answer is simple: EVERY DIME! Just make sure you get a good home inspector and I always encourage a second visit before close of escrow to ensure repairs were made properly.

A competent home inspector can save a homebuyer not just money, but agrevation and stress. A home is probably the largest purchase the average person will make. A buyer should always have an inspection to determine if the property is as it seems. Hidden problems become the buyer's problems and expense after closing. Remember, the house you buy now will be the house you will sell at a later time. Any problems at that time will be yours to deal with and pay for. Therefore, have the inspections and get the problems fixed before you buy.

Folks will often pay a mechanic $100 to inspect a $8000 used car. Home inspections are typically $200-$400 (at least in CA, for homes that sell for $500K to $1M). Why would anyone NOT have a home inspection??

Don't buy a headache! Inspections help you minimize your risk. Just fork out a few hundred to avoid sleepless nights and big problems in the future. Attending the home inspection is very important, it's when buyers learn a lot about their new home and what needs to be done to keep the home in top shape.

Inspections are really important when relocating to a new area that may have issues that were unheard of where a buyer used to live. A good inspector will have the buyer walking away with a better understanding of the home they are getting into.

Oh my yes. In CA it is essential/.

And then some. This is typically one of the largest purchases a person makes, ever. A professional's opinion about the physical condition of the home can save thousands of dollars and prevent a bad investment from being made. There are some things that might cause a buyer to not proceed with a purchase. I have had buyers change their mind after finding black mold, a leaky foundation or certain kinds of insulation. The $300 or $400 they spent on the inspection was nothing compared to the cost of remedying those situations.

A home inspection is the "cheapest" money a buyer can spend to determine whether or not he has chosen the right property. I have paid for the inspection if a buyer was strapped for cash.. that is how much I believe in them. Of course a good inspector is a must so buyers should be sure the inspector is licensed, has E&O Insurance and belongs to a National Home Inspectors Association.

Absolutely. A home inspection may reveal defects unknown to the buyer or seller and save the buyer expensive repairs after settlement. Sellers may not always know of defects to roofs, systems, foundations and will usually make repairs to sell the home with a minimum of problems to buyer and seller. The home inspection gives the buyer a degree of peace of mind that is invaluable. A good agents will explain the limitations of the home inspection so the buyer isn't expecting cosmetic changes. A home inspector is often the most objective entity in the home buying process. Home inspections are a big return for a reasonable fee.

Remember that old saying, 'penny wise and pound foolish'? That always comes out of my mouth when folks want to save money and skip the inspection. None of us are perfect, and since houses are built by humans, there will be mistakes. Catching them earlier rather than later allows you to make smart decisions in the negotiation and allows you to plan for the future in the house.

Home inspections are a critical part of the real estate transaction. We always encourage our buyers to be on hand during the inspection as it is a great way to learn about the home and its idiosyncrasies. I also prefer reports that include photos, so that both sellers and buyers are able to see for themselves the issues being addressed. Very often, these problem areas are located in attics and crawl spaces, where most of us don't care to go.

Home inspections are a valuable part of the home buying process. It doesn't matter if you are purchasing a brand new or a resale home, getting an inspection is important. Even if an inspector doesn't find a thing wrong, at least you will have the piece of mind you are doing the right thing.

Yes, Absolutely. Especially if you have not bought more than 3 homes in the last ten years. Construction and home materials change over time. You do not want to make a $50,000 mistake.

As an investor, I got home inspections for the first year I was in business. I always showed up and asked questions. I eventually learned to spot trouble areas.

This is probably one of the biggest investments in your life. You bet a home inspection is worth your money. If anything major comes up on the report, you want to have a choice of accepting the contract, rejecting it or re-negotiate. Better to find out about any problems before you buy the house than later when you are stuck with it.

Yes! And more - but don't tell the inspector that. Be sure to attend the inspection to get all that great information that won't be in the report; they'll show the buyer how to update and maintain the property, which is not within the scope of the inspection but sure is helpful. Besides the fact that they're trained professionals, they're up to date on current codes, and should be familiar with the area that the house is located in to differentiate between what is normal for a neighborhood and what isn't. See the ASHI website. Make sure that they're certified.