Getting a home inspection is virtually mandatory nowadays. To not get a home inspection when you're buying a home is tantamount to home buying suicide. That said, how can you really get the most out of your home inspection? After reading this article, you'll know how to make your home inspections a truly educational process.

The most important thing to do during the home inspection process is to ask a whole lot of questions. Remember that you're working with a professional contractor who you're paying. It's both your right and your job as the client to get the most out of the experience by asking questions and learning as much as you can.

Here are some of the key questions you should ask during a home inspection:

1) Safety. Are there any safety concerns with the house you should know about?

2) Plumbing. How long is the plumbing likely to last? Is there any evidence of previous plumbing problems?

3) Code violations. Are there any code violations you should be aware of?

4) Heating. How old is the heating system? Should you be concerned about having to replace the heating system in the next few years? If the system is old, are there any fire safety concerns you should be aware of with the system?

5) Foundations. How do the foundations look? Are there any red flags you should be aware of? Keep in mind that although the inspector can give you an educated guess with the foundations, they usually can't give definite answers about the foundations.

It goes without saying that if you're putting in a purchase offer, it's important that you either get the inspection done beforehand or that you include an inspection clause in your contract. The last thing you want is to make an offer only to find out during inspection that there’s a problem.

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