Get a House Inspection Before Buying
Before you finalize your house purchase, be sure the house is in good condition. The best way is to have a professional inspection.
Inspecting the physical condition of a house is an important part of the home-buying process, and should be a condition of closing the sale. One or more professional inspectors should look for defects or malfunctions in the building's structure, such as the roof, plumbing, or foundation, and detect pest infestations or dry rot and similar damage. Even if the seller provides you an inspection report, it's best not to rely on this alone -- the seller may have chosen an inspector who's not known for rooting out problems.
 Ask for disclosures before you get an inspection. In some states, such as California, sellers are required to disclose considerable information about the condition of the house itself and potential hazards to the property. (See Required Disclosures When Selling Real Estate.) But this is just the beginning -- not all sellers know about problems with the house, or honestly disclose them.
When to Have the Property Inspected
Most buyers get professional inspections only after they're in contract to buy the property. The deal is commonly made contingent on the buyers' approving the results of one or more inspections. The buyer arranges and schedules the inspections.
Before paying for a professional inspection, you can conduct your own informal inspection. The best time to do this is before you make an offer, so that you can save yourself the trouble should you find serious problems. You'll find a checklist and further instructions in Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home, by attorney Ilona Bray, attorney Alayna Schroeder, and Marcia Stewart.
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