Before you hire a professional home inspector, find out if the sellers have any disclosures they wish to make regarding the condition of the property. You can provide this information to your inspector.In some areas, sellers are required by law to disclose certain types of defects, such as termite problems.
Even if the seller doesn't have any disclosures, you still need to hire an inspector before buying the house. Sometimes sellers may not be aware of certain issues with the property, or may have been living with the problem for so long they don't even think about it.
 Typically, your real estate agent will have particular inspectors they use on a regular basis to conduct home inspections on behalf of their clients. They'll also know the reputations of local inspectors.If you noticed any potential problems in your personal walkthrough of the property, bring these up to your real estate agent before you place an offer on the house.
Your mortgage broker also may have a particular inspector they want to use. If that's the case, they'll usually let you know in advance.
Typically the buyer foots the bill for the inspection. Your real estate agent can give you a good idea of what to expect from the inspection and how much it will cost you.
 Before you hire an inspector, you need to make sure that their license is up to date and that they have experience inspecting homes such as the one you plan to purchase.Find out how long the inspector has been doing residential home inspections, and how many they've done. You also may want to find out if those houses are similar in size and location to yours.
Ask the inspector how long they expect the inspection to take, and what parts of the house will be covered. If there's anything that you want inspected that won't be covered, you may need to hire a different inspector to go over that part of the house.
 Schedule the inspection at a time you'll be available and make arrangements to be there. The sellers may want to be there as well. Walk through the house with the inspector and have them explain what they see.The inspector likely will notice things that you didn't realize were signs of a problem when you walked through the house on your own.
If the inspector points out anything that you don't understand, ask them to explain the damage and what would need to be done to repair it.
 A general licensed inspector doesn't always go into detail regarding specific systems or issues. If potential problems are found, you may need to have a specialist come in and assess that damage.For example, if the home has a septic system, you may want to arrange to have that system inspected separately by a septic system expert.
Most general home inspections don't inspect in-depth for termites. If your general inspector noticed termite damage, you should call in an expert on wood-destroying insects.
Licensed inspectors also may not look at certain parts of the property, such as separate buildings or pools.
Additionally, general inspectors only look at what is visible. Any evidence of visible damage could indicate a more significant problem inside the walls or underground.
Ask the seller for disclosures.
Talk to your real estate agent.
Check the inspector's credentials.
Attend the inspection.
Line up additional inspections.
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