Finally, after several searches, you’ve found your dream home. You’re ready with your pre-approval letter and best of all, your seller has accepted your offer.

You’re all set to buy your new home.

Well, there’s another important step you can’t afford to skip. You need to conduct a home inspection—the most crucial aspect of the homebuying process. It can either make or break your deal.

Many first-time homebuyers (that is, those who aren’t buying investment properties) may carry certain assumptions about the home inspection process. ‘

Let’s debunk the three most common home inspection myths.

Myth 1: You can skip the inspection of a brand-new home.

A new home building process (i.e., building from the ground up) involves several subcontractors and numerous employees. While working simultaneously on various parts of a home, mistakes can occur. Faulty construction, for example, may haunt you in the future with costly repairs.

So careful inspection of a new build is essential.

Frank Lesh, an ASHI certified home inspector and an Ambassador at the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), agrees.“With a house that’s already been lived in … I can see whether there are signs of leakage, mold, or anything that occurs over a period of time. If it’s a brand-new house, nobody has showered in that shower or used the appliances, so it absolutely should be inspected, even though it’s under warranty.”

If resale is a possibility, any issue left unattended during the original construction may prove to be costly down the line. The repair expense then falls on your shoulders, not the builder. Worse, it may also become a dealbreaker down the line in a future sale.

This doesn’t just go for new homes; even flipped homes should have a thorough inspection.

Myth 2: Any home inspector is fine.

Agood home inspection depends on how good the inspector is. Simple as that!

Interview as many professionals as possible. Gauge their experience, credentials, and expertise.

Ideally, an experienced and qualified home inspectorshould be your primary choice. That means you must hire licensed inspectors from organizations such as ASHI. An ASHI member adheres to the widely respected ASHI Standard of Practice and Code of Ethics.

Myth 3: Only major repairs are listed in the report

This myth is a rampant one. A competent home inspector details every repair in the inspection report whether major or minor in nature. They’re trained to provide information on any and all issues they find with the property, be it a small cosmetic repair such as a superficial crack in a wall or a more concerning issue such as a faulty plumbing system. 

But does that mean they’ll detail all repairs in a home? Remember that a home inspector cannot check every nook and corner of a home. They can’t just tear down a wall and look into it. A home inspection is a visual examination of a property’s structure and systems.

In that case, you’ll only find some issues with time. However, if you’re building from the ground up, schedule an inspection in advance to make it easier for the inspector to access every part of the home.

Keep your power during negotiations

Now that the above myths have been busted, what will you do? That’s right: Order an inspection without hesitation! Empowered by knowledge, you can approach your next inspection report more carefully. You’ll have a good shot at negotiating a better offer.