The Housing Market Is Turning a Corner Going into 2026After several years of high mortgage rates and hesitation from buyers, momentum is quietly building beneath the surface of the housing market.
Why You Don't Want To Skip Your Home Ispection
Dated: April 10 2025
Views: 1
Why You Don't Want To Skip Your Home Inspection
When you finally find the home you want to buy, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement. You’ve toured the place, imagined your furniture in it, maybe even pictured your morning coffee on the porch. The last thing you want is to slow down the process with more steps or lose out to another buyer’s offer because they skipped their inspection.
But here’s the thing. Buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever make. And no matter how perfect that house seems, skipping a home inspection is a risk that could cost you a lot more than just time.
What Exactly Is a Home Inspection?
A home inspection gives you a detailed look at the home’s condition, usually after your offer’s accepted but before closing. While what’s covered varies by state, an inspector usually goes over the home’s major systems and structure, including things like the roof, foundation, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and more.
Why an Inspection Is Worth It
Here’s a quick rundown of some of the biggest benefits of getting an inspection.
- Helps you avoid unpleasant surprises. A house might seem move-in ready, but could have issues you didn’t see during your walkthrough. Knowing about these before closing day is important. That way, you have a better idea of what work may need to be done to the home.
- Gives you negotiating power. Depending on what the inspection turns up, you may want to re-negotiate with the seller. For that, lean on your agent. With their help, you can ask the seller to handle repairs before closing day or provide a credit so you can take care of them yourself.
- Offers you peace of mind. Buying a home is emotional, especially if you’ve been searching for a while. An inspection helps take some of the uncertainty off your plate, so you can move forward with confidence.
A few hundred dollars upfront for the home inspection could save you thousands in surprise repairs later. As the National Association of Realtors (NAR) says:
“Failure to obtain a home inspection could potentially cost you a great deal of money and hassles in the long run.”
Why You Don’t Want To Waive Your Inspection
According to the latest data from NAR, nearly 1 in 4 buyers are waiving (or removing) the inspection contingency when they buy a home. And with spring being peak homebuying season and buyer activity already heating up, you may be thinking about doing that yourself. As Realtor.com points out:
“ . . . if you're in a hot real estate market where homes are getting multiple offers, there might be a temptation to skip an inspection when you really want the house. However, waiving a home inspection comes with sizable risks.”
But skipping the inspection is a gamble that doesn’t necessarily pay off. Just remember, there are other ways to make your offer attractive to sellers, like being flexible with the closing date. Before making an offer, talk to your agent about other ways to get a seller’s attention without sacrificing your peace of mind.
Bottom Line
Even if skipping an inspection sounds like a way to make your offer more competitive or speed things up, it’s risky. It’s not just extra time and documentation, it’s a smart step that protects your wallet, your investment, and your future.
If you could ask a home inspector one question before buying, what would it be? Let me know and I’ll make sure it’s the first thing we bring up.
John Rainville
Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York licensed Real Estate Broker and RealtorYour Trusted Real Estate Partner in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New YorkAs a licensed Real Estate Broker and Realtor, John an....
Latest Blog Posts
Thought the Market Passed You By? Think Again.If you stepped back from your home search over the past few years, you’re not alone – and you’re definitely not out of options. In,
Why Some Homes Sell Quickly – and Others Don’t Sell at AllA few years ago, inventory hit a record low. Just about anything sold – and fast. But now, there are far more homes on the
The Reason Homes Feel Like They Cost So Much (It’s Not What You Think)Scroll through your feed and you’ll see plenty of finger-pointing about why homes cost so much. And according to a
The data relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange of the Greater Lehigh Valley REALTORS®. Real Estate listings held by brokerage firms (licensees) other than #firm are marked with the IDX logo and detailed information about them includes the name of the listing brokers.
The information being provided is for consumers personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers
©2026 Georgia Multiple Listing Service All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) or information provider(s) shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. Listing(s) information is provided for consumer's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may
The data relating to real estate for sale on this web site includes listings held by MLS-IDX Participants of the Internet Data Exchange program of the Multiple Listing Service of the Pocono Mountains Association of Realtors®. Listings marked with the Internet Data Exchange logo are not necessarily the listings of the owner of this web site. All listing data is the copyrighted property of the aforesaid Association and its MLS-IDX Participants with all rights reserved. The information contained
© BRIGHT, All Rights Reserved
Luzerne County Association of REALTORS® (LZCAOR) All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) or information provider(s) shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. Listing(s) information is provided for consumer's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. The data relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange program of the Multiple Listing Service. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than The Brokers Realty Group Limited may be marked with the Internet Data Exchange logo and detailed information about those properties will include the name of the listing broker(s) when required by the MLS. Copyright ©2026 All rights reserved.
Last Updated: September 20, 2026 12:21 PM UTC
Susquehanna Valley Board of REALTORS® All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) or information provider(s) shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. Listing(s) information is provided for consumer's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be
All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) or information provider(s) shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. Listing(s) information is provided for consumer's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. The data relating
