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One of the most common conditions buyers include in their offer to purchase is a home inspection. A home inspection serves two main purposes: 1) it shows you what condition the home is in, which helps you decide if it’s worth buying or not, and 2) it gives you a rundown of anything that may need to be fixed, should you choose to buy it. Home inspections typically last between two-to-three hours and can add anywhere from $300 to $600 to your closing costs total, depending on the size of your house.

After the inspection is done, the home inspector will leave you with a detailed report of their findings. While this is a great document to keep for the duration of time in which you own your home, reading a report is nothing compared to witnessing a home inspection first-hand. Here are five reasons why you should attend your home inspection.

1. Find Possible Repairs

During a home inspection, your home inspector should give you a tour of your house and show you any major issues they find along the way. Repairs can range from non-urgent tasks, such as weatherstripping, to more urgent and costly repairs, including structural issues and water damage. Make sure you physically see anything that needs to be fixed and understand why it needs to be fixed.By doing so, not only will you learn a lot about your house, you’ll feel confident to either finalize the deal or walk away from it.

2. Budget for Repairs

Owning a home is a lot different than renting an apartment. On top of having to make monthly mortgage payments, you’ll need to budget for repair jobs of all sizes. For example, when you look at a house, the roof could be in seemingly good condition. However, by simply peeling back a few shingles, a home inspector can show you exactly what condition the roof is in, then give you an estimate of how much longer it’ll last and what it could potentially cost to replace it.

3. Learn How to Maintain It

Your home inspector has likely looked at hundreds of different homes, and may even have experience working in a trade. If you’re a first-time homebuyer, take advantage of this by asking them how to maintain everything that keeps your house running. Does your new house come with a furnace? Ask your home inspector how often you should change the filter. Then get them to show you your electrical panel, any shut-off valves you have, and even look under sinks and in the backs of every toilet.

4. Ask Questions

While you want to give your home inspector the time and space they need to conduct a full and proper home inspection, you also want to be able to ask them questions about what they find. Some examples of questions to ask your home inspector include:

• Is the bathroom well-ventilated?
• Do any of the floors slope?
• Is the foundation solid?

Finally, when the home inspection is done, your home inspector can’t give you any advice, but you can still ask them one important question:

• What is the overall condition of the house?

In the end, while most home inspectors are both qualified and experienced, little things can still be missed in a home inspection. By going in prepared, seeing everything with your own eyes and asking questions along the way, you’ll feel more confident in your decision to buy the home or walk away and look for something that’s in better condition.