You are under contract, the inspection is booked, and everyone wants to see the house again: you, your partner, your parents, maybe the friend who “knows houses.” Here is the single best piece of advice we give buyers: let the inspector work alone, and come for the last 30 minutes. That is when the inspector walks you through what they found, shows you the things that matter, and answers your questions with the whole house fresh in their mind.
Ask your inspector what they prefer when you book. Most will give you a time to arrive, and if yours welcomes you for the whole visit, follow their lead. But if nobody says otherwise, the last half hour is the sweet spot.
Why the last 30 minutes
The inspector needs to concentrate
A home inspection is a few hours of careful, step-by-step work: the roof, the attic, the crawlspace, the electrical panel, the plumbing, the heating and cooling, the windows, the outlets, the grading around the foundation. Every question, every “come look at this,” every conversation in the next room breaks that focus. Interruptions are how things get missed, and a missed item is the one you pay for after closing.
You get answers, not guesses
Ask about a stain on the ceiling in the first ten minutes and the inspector has not been in the attic yet. Ask at the end and they can tell you whether it is old and dry, where it came from, and whether it showed up anywhere else. Questions at the end get better answers.
The walkthrough is the part worth seeing
You do not need to watch someone test every outlet. You do want to see the main water shut-off, the electrical panel, the water heater, the HVAC filter, and the two or three findings that really matter, with the person who found them pointing at them. That is what the last 30 minutes is built for.
It is safer, and it goes faster
Inspectors climb ladders, open panels and crawl under houses. Nobody else should be under the ladder or following them into a crawlspace. Fewer people in the house also means the inspection finishes on time, which matters when your contract’s inspection period is already counting down.
Who should come
- The buyers. The people whose names are on the contract and who will make the decisions.
- Your agent. Your agent may be there for some or all of it, or arrive for the walkthrough with you.
- One trusted advisor, if you want one. A parent or friend helping you decide is welcome at the walkthrough. A crowd is not.
- Leave the kids and pets with someone else if you can. An inspection has open panels, ladders and attic hatches, and the house is not childproofed for visitors.
- Save the contractors for another day. If you want a quote on a remodel, measurements for furniture, or a look from your own HVAC tech, ask your agent to arrange a separate visit with the seller’s permission.
Respect the seller’s home
Until closing, it is still their house, and often their furniture, their photos and their pets.
- Wipe your feet or take your shoes off, and ask before using the restroom.
- Look at the house, not their belongings. Do not open drawers, closets or cabinets that are not part of the inspection.
- Leave it as you found it: lights off, doors locked, thermostat back where it was, pets still inside.
- Do not post photos of the seller’s home or things on social media.
- Talk about price, repairs and negotiation in the car, not in the kitchen. Many homes have cameras and doorbells that record sound.
Talking with the inspector
- Save your questions for the walkthrough. Write them down as you think of them, and bring the list.
- Do not ask “would you buy it?” The inspector’s job is to tell you the condition of the house, not whether to buy it. That decision is yours, with your agent.
- Do not ask for repair prices on the spot. Inspectors are not contractors, and a guess in the hallway is not a quote. If something needs a closer look, the report will say so and you can bring in the right specialist.
- Keep the seller out of it. If the seller is home, let your agent do the talking about anything the inspection turns up.
- Be kind. The inspector is working for you, often in a hot attic or a tight crawlspace. A thank-you goes a long way.
Cannot be there?
Moving from out of town is common here. Ask the inspector or your agent for a video call during the walkthrough, or a phone call once the report is out. You can still get the same tour and ask the same questions.
After the inspection
- Read the whole report, not only the summary. Photos and notes in the body often explain what the summary only names.
- Sort the findings. Safety items and big systems (roof, foundation, water, electrical, heating and cooling) first; small maintenance items are normal in every house, even a new one.
- Bring in specialists where the report says to. A structural engineer, a roofer, a licensed electrician or a sewer camera, as needed.
- Talk to your agent about next steps before the inspection period ends. That is when you decide what to ask the seller for.
The short version
- Let the inspector work. Come for the last 30 minutes, or whenever they tell you to.
- Bring the decision makers and one trusted helper, not a crowd.
- Treat the seller’s home like the guest you are.
- Save questions for the walkthrough, and save negotiation for the car.
- Read the whole report, then make a plan with your agent.
Buying your first home? Our AI for Home Buyers class covers preparing questions for an inspection and the steps from offer to closing. See every class on the courses page.
General guidance for buyers. Every inspector works a little differently; when yours gives you instructions, follow them.