A good home inspector will give you a detailed report. You can then take that report to the seller and discuss any outstanding items or issues that need to be resolved. Since you’re getting a report anyway, you don’t have to be present at the inspection, right? Wrong. Being present at the home inspection is one of the most important parts of closing on your property.

See and Discuss the Defects

It’s absolutely vital that you attend a home inspection because you need to see and discuss the defects as your inspector presents them. If you have questions about a particular issue, ask them. If you don’t understand whether a problem is minor or major, your inspector can explain it and help you understand why something may cost only a few hundred dollars to repair, or why you could be looking at a repair running thousands of dollars.

Home inspectors may be able to give you an idea of how much repairs will cost to fix, and recommend contractors who provide good rates and do good work. You can also ask the inspector to show you important parts of the property, such as the furnace, circuit breakers and water heater. Having the inspector present to answer your questions about these systems is probably your best opportunity to find out more about your house before you buy.

Have the Seller’s Agent Present

Being present at the home inspection yourself is for your understanding. You should also have the seller or the seller’s agent present at your inspection, so they can see anything the inspector uncovers. In some cases, sellers might genuinely not know about potential issues with their home, and may not believe it or understand the extent of an issue you report to them. In other cases, the seller is aware of potential issues, but might deny them to avoid costly negotiations. Either way, having the seller or the seller’s agent present negates these issues, because the seller is much less likely to debate about issues that he has seen with his own eyes.