Home Inspections
A home inspection is your chance to understand the condition of a house before you are locked into buying it. A licensed inspector spends a few hours examining the structure and major systems, then gives you a written report. Its real purpose is not to find a "perfect" house — none exist — but to make sure there are no expensive surprises, and to give you the information to renegotiate or walk away if something serious turns up.
What does a home inspection cover?
A standard inspection looks at the roof, foundation and structure, electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, insulation, drainage, and visible signs of water damage or pests. It is a visual inspection of what is accessible — an inspector does not open walls. For older Greater Boston homes, plan on specialist add-ons where they make sense: radon, a sewer-line scope, or a chimney evaluation.
Can a seller ask you to waive the inspection?
As of October 15, 2025, Massachusetts law protects a buyer's right to have a home inspected — a seller cannot require you to waive that right as a condition of the sale, and the offer forms were updated to reflect it. This matters: during the hottest stretches of this market, buyers were pressured into skipping inspections to win bidding wars, sometimes inheriting five-figure problems. You now keep the right to look before you commit. Always understand what you are signing before you sign it.
How do you read the report?
Inspection reports flag everything, which can look alarming. The skill is sorting the list into three buckets: routine maintenance (expected on any home), items to monitor, and genuine problems that affect safety or cost real money — a failing roof, an aging heating system, active water intrusion, knob-and-tube wiring. We help you focus on that third bucket and ignore the noise.
How do buyers negotiate after an inspection?
When something significant surfaces, you generally have a few paths: ask the seller to make the repair, ask for a credit toward closing costs so you can handle it yourself, renegotiate the price, or — if it is serious enough — exercise your contingency and walk. Credits are often cleaner than repairs, because you control the quality of the work. Which approach fits depends on the finding and the leverage in the deal, and that is where an agent earns their keep.
Septic note: homes on private septic (common outside the denser towns) fall under Title V. A passing Title V inspection is generally valid for two years, and a failing system can be a major cost — confirm the certificate's date and status early.
An inspection is one step in a longer process. See the full buying roadmap for how it fits between your accepted offer and the closing.
Have a home under agreement?
We can recommend trusted local inspectors and help you interpret the findings so you make a confident, informed decision.
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