You’re under contract. The inspection window is open. This is your one chance to get an independent, expert look at the home before you close.

Most buyers don’t take full advantage of it. They schedule, show up briefly, skim the report, and move on. The inspection becomes a formality instead of the information-gathering opportunity it’s designed to be.

Here’s how to actually use it. Before, during, and after.

Before Inspection Day

Schedule as soon as you’re under contract. Inspection contingency windows are set in your purchase agreement and often run about 10 days. That sounds like plenty of time, but good inspectors book out fast, especially during spring and fall when the market is active. Schedule within the first two or three days.

Tell your agent you need full property access for at least three hours. For larger homes or homes with add-ons like radon testing or mold sampling, plan for four. Rushed inspections miss things. A seller who expects the inspector out in 90 minutes is setting up a problem.

Ask your agent for the seller’s disclosure statement before inspection day, not after. Read it. Note anything that’s been repaired, permitted, or disclosed as a known issue. Those are good starting points for questions. The inspector isn’t going to read it during the inspection, but you should go in knowing what the seller has already told you.

Write down your questions now. Before the inspection, while you’re still thinking about what matters to you. Roof age. Permit history on any additions. What that stain on the ceiling was. Once you’re walking through the house, it’s easy to forget what you were curious about. Write it down.

What to Bring

Your phone. Take photos of anything the inspector flags that looks significant. The report will have photos too, but having your own helps you remember what you were looking at and where it was in the house.

Wear clothes and shoes you can move in. A good inspector will offer to let you follow them into the crawlspace or pull-down attic. Not everyone takes them up on it. But if you’re the type who wants to see for yourself, dress for it.

Bring your list of questions. If you can get the seller’s disclosure statement, bring that too. And bring a notepad or use the notes app on your phone. You will not remember everything you heard at the walkthrough by the time you’re reading the report.

Your Job During the Inspection

Show up. This sounds obvious, but some buyers skip it. Don’t. The inspection report tells you what was found. Being there shows you where it is, how bad it looks, and gives you a chance to ask questions in real time. Those are three different things, and you only get all three by attending.

Arrive near the end of the inspection, in time for the walkthrough. Ask questions when things come up. Good inspectors welcome it. If something looks unusual, ask about it. “Is that normal for a house this age?” goes a long way.

Don’t panic when things get flagged. Every house has findings. A 1960s home in Portland will have findings. A five-year-old new construction home will have findings. The question isn’t whether findings exist, it’s what they are and how serious they are. Your inspector can help you understand the difference between a deferred maintenance item and something that needs attention now.

One thing to avoid: don’t let the seller or listing agent participate in the inspection. They usually won’t be there, which is standard practice. But if they are, any questions about the home should go to your inspector, not to them. You’re paying for an independent evaluation.

Buyer Checklist

Inspection Day Checklist

  • Schedule the inspection within the first 2-3 days of going under contract
  • Confirm the seller allows 2-4 hours of access
  • Read the seller’s disclosure before inspection day
  • Write down your questions ahead of time
  • Attend the inspection in person
  • Bring a notepad or phone for notes and photos
  • Stay for the verbal walkthrough at the end
  • Read the report summary section first
  • Follow up on any specialist referrals noted in the report

Real Inspection Photos

Is That Normal for a House This Age?

Real photos from Russ's reports. Older homes and brand new ones both have findings.

  • Outlet tester plugged into a three-prong wall outlet showing an open ground
    A three-prong outlet with no ground, common in homes wired before the mid-1960s. A good question for the walkthrough: how many outlets are like this?
  • Bottom of a new electrical panel enclosure with drywall dust and construction debris
    Construction debris left inside the panel of a new home. New construction has findings too, and the report recommends cleaning by an electrician.

See a full sample report

The Walkthrough

At the end of every inspection I do, I walk through the major findings verbally. This is your best opportunity to ask follow-up questions. Most of the inspection is me working through the house with my tools. The walkthrough is when I stop and talk.

Ask directly: “What’s the most important thing here?” Don’t leave without knowing the answer. Inspectors see a lot and write about all of it. Not everything is equally important. You want to know what rises to the top.

Ask about specialist referrals. If the report recommends a licensed electrician, structural engineer, or other specialist, ask why. What specifically did I see that prompted that recommendation? Understanding the “why” helps you know how urgently to follow up and who to call.

If you want to record the walkthrough on your phone, ask first. I’m fine with it. It helps. The walkthrough is verbal and dense, and you’ll forget pieces of it by the time you’re reviewing the report.

After the Inspection

The report will come by email. At Trusted Home Inspections, most reports are delivered the same day. It’s a photo- and video-rich PDF organized by system. Start with the summary section if there is one.

Read the safety-related findings first. These are items that could directly affect health or safety, things like electrical hazards, carbon monoxide risks, or structural concerns. They’re usually flagged clearly.

Then read the specialist referral recommendations. If the report says to get a licensed plumber to evaluate something, that’s not boilerplate. It means something specific came up that warrants a professional opinion beyond what a home inspection covers. Follow those up before your contingency expires.

For anything else, prioritize by severity. Cosmetic items and minor maintenance are different from major systems failures. Your inspector can help you sort through questions if you have them after reading the report.

A few internal links worth knowing: our buyer’s home inspection page covers what a full inspection includes, and our guide on specialist evaluations explains what prompts a referral and why it matters.

Key Takeaway

The inspection is yours. You paid for it, and you’re the one who needs to understand what it found. Attend in person, stay for the walkthrough, read the report the same day. Buyers who do all three leave the inspection with clarity. Buyers who skip steps leave with questions that linger through closing.

Common Questions

Buyer Inspection FAQ

Yes. Show up in person. You can read the report later, but being there lets you see findings firsthand, ask questions as they come up, and hear the inspector’s verbal summary at the end. That walkthrough alone is worth the time. Buyers who attend understand their report far better than those who skip it.
Look for a licensed inspector with a Certified Master Inspector® credential, which is board-certified by the Master Inspector Certification Board. Check Google and Yelp reviews. Ask what’s included. Thermal imaging, roof inspection, and moisture meter readings should be standard, not add-ons. Russ Motyko is Oregon City’s only Certified Master Inspector and includes all three on every inspection.
Good questions to ask: What’s the most important finding here? Does this look like a safety concern or more of a maintenance item? How common is this in homes of this age? Do I need a specialist for this, or is it something a general contractor can handle? Your inspector should answer all of these directly.
Most inspectors deliver reports within 24 hours. Trusted Home Inspections delivers the majority of reports the same day. The report is typically a photo-rich PDF organized by system. You’ll get a link or email when it’s ready.
Start with the summary section if your report has one. It lists the most significant findings in one place. Then look specifically for any items flagged as safety concerns or that recommend specialist evaluations. Read those sections in detail before anything else.
The inspection report documents what’s there. If the inspector recommends a specialist evaluation for something, follow through and get that evaluation before your contingency expires. For major structural, electrical, or plumbing concerns, you may want contractor estimates to understand the scope and cost. What you do with that information is a decision between you and your agent.
Not effectively. Licensed home inspectors carry specialized tools, including thermal cameras and moisture meters, and know what to look for based on thousands of inspections. A walkthrough on your own will miss things a trained inspector catches. More importantly, a professional report creates a written record of the home’s condition at the time of purchase.
Russ Motyko, Certified Master Inspector
Russ Motyko
Certified Master Inspector®  |  OR #1898  |  WA #1856

Russ is Oregon City’s only Certified Master Inspector® and a licensed general contractor. He has completed more than 3,000 inspections across the Portland metro and SW Washington. Bilingual in English and Russian, a U.S. Army Reserve Noncommissioned Officer, and owner of Trusted Home Inspections. Learn more →