What to Expect at Your Home Inspection in Northern Virginia, and When to Walk Away
Something will almost always come up at a home inspection, even on a new house, and that's a good thing: I want the inspector to find things. Most findings are normal or fixable, and the few real reasons to walk away mostly come down to structure and hidden water damage. If you're bracing for a report that makes your dream home look like it's falling apart, here's how I help buyers tell the difference. |
When does the home inspection happen?
Usually within five to eight days of a ratified contract (one both sides have signed). If the inspection window is tight, I line up one of my inspectors while I'm writing the offer and ask for the earliest opening, so the inspection lands on day one or two. That leaves time to bring in a specialist afterward if we need one.
The other standard inspections are for wood-destroying insects, radon (a gas from the soil; my buyers usually add it if there's a basement), and well and septic, which run on a longer timeline. You can have as many as you want, as long as they're written clearly into the contract.
How should you prepare for a home inspection?
With new buyers, we sit down beforehand and talk through what we'll probably find. An outlet might not work in the kitchen, or the one by the sink might not be a GFCI outlet (the kind with test and reset buttons that cuts the power when it senses a shock hazard), and it should be. We talk about why, and what it would cost to add one. What if the roof leaks? We go through the what-ifs, so nothing in the report surprises you.
What happens on inspection day?
I'm there for the whole inspection. I meet the inspector at the house first, and he does his inspection. You come once he's done, and we walk the house together while he goes through each finding. That way you're not standing around waiting, and he can be thorough without someone looking over his shoulder.
I rotate among three inspectors, and all of them have decades of home building experience. They're very direct.
Explaining what a finding means is my job, and I won't compromise on the quality of the inspection to protect a deal.
What does a home inspector look for?
Everything on a standard list that he can see and reach. He gets as far as he can into the crawl space, the basement, and the attic. A good inspector uses a moisture meter on any spot that looks like it could be wet, checks electrical boxes for heat that could mean arcing or shorting, and tests the outlets. Many inspectors don't climb onto roofs anymore because of liability and safety, though some check the roof with a drone.
The inspection is visual, and he won't move the owner's belongings. If boxes are stacked floor to ceiling against a wall, he notes that he couldn't see behind them, and we may ask to extend the inspection deadline so the boxes can be moved and the wall checked.
What findings shouldn't scare you?
Hairline cracks at the corners of windows and door frames. People worry that the house is sinking, but those cracks are typically just the house settling, which is normal. Houses are mostly wood, so they expand and contract.
Mold in crawl spaces and attics. In Virginia, where it gets really humid, you'll probably see some. The fix is to remove it and then add ventilation or conditioning so it doesn't come back. It's not an automatic deal breaker, and it usually isn't that expensive.
A big roof quote. If you need a price on a new roof, get one straight from a roofing contractor. In my experience, quotes from the big companies that work through insurance often run about double.
Some foundation problems. A foundation crack looks frightening, but it isn't always serious.
A 21-year-old first-time buyer of mine found a townhome that had been on the market for one day. We were the first to see it and the first to offer, and he still kept his home inspection contingency (his right to back out over what the inspection found). It stormed before the inspection, and I love that, because if a house leaks, you're going to see it. Sure enough: water in the basement where a gutter downspout was dumping against the foundation, a minor roof leak, and a corner where the foundation walls were separating. Because the inspection was early in the window, I had a foundation specialist out two days later. The fix was braces and straps in that corner for about $2,500, plus sending the gutter water away from the house and sealing the wall. The sellers replaced the roof before closing and gave a credit for the foundation work. When everybody is happy, that's how you know it was a perfect transaction. |
When should you walk away after a home inspection?
When the inspection turns up a major structural problem or serious hidden water damage, and you want a home to live in rather than a big project, even at a discount. Those can cost tens of thousands of dollars to fix.
These are the ones where I advise walking away:
A sinking foundation where the whole house has to be jacked up.
Hidden water damage, like new laminate floors over a ruined subfloor that you can only see from the basement. Fixing it means ripping out the new floors and replacing the subfloor, and probably some joists.
Earlier this year, I walked through a beautiful house with incredible photos and flawless staging. In the basement, one foundation wall was bowed a good inch inward, visible only from the side. With everything else the house needed, it wasn't worth it for my buyer, especially at that price. Afterward, contractor friends who saw photos said the fix would probably mean supporting the house and pouring a new wall beside the bowed one. My guess is tens of thousands at least. |
As of fall 2026, there are more homes on the market, so walking away is easier.
What happens after the inspection?
The report usually comes at the end of the day, and we meet again so you can decide what to ask for, typically a repair or a credit. Then I call the listing agent, because a call is personal and a text or email is easy to misread, and I confirm the details in an email.
If you're financing, a seller credit can only go toward your closing costs, which frees up your own cash for the repair. How much a seller can credit depends on your loan, so ask your lender. If a credit won't cover it, the seller can make the repair first, closing can be pushed back until it's done, or the title company can hold money back at closing to pay for it afterward (an escrow), which is the riskiest. I aim for repairs before closing, and I keep a full list of contractors so the work usually gets done quickly.
What should you do next?
Call me before you make an offer, so the inspection can land early in the window.
Sit down with me before the inspection so you know what to expect.
Read the report with me, and I'll help you decide what to ask for and what's worth walking away from.
Frequently asked questions
What does a home inspector look for?
Everything on a standard list that the inspector can see and reach, including the structure, attic, crawl space, basement, moisture, and electrical system. It's visual, so the inspector won't move furniture or boxes. Radon, wood-destroying insects, and well and septic are separate inspections.
What are the biggest red flags in a home inspection?
Major structural problems, like a sinking foundation or a badly bowed foundation wall, and hidden water damage, like a ruined subfloor under new flooring. Those can run tens of thousands of dollars to fix.
What happens after a home inspection?
The report usually comes the same day. Then you decide what to ask the seller for: a repair before closing or a credit (ask your lender how much your loan allows). If a finding is a deal breaker, your inspection contingency is what lets you walk away.
Should you be at the home inspection?
Yes, for the walk-through at the end. I meet the inspector at the house first, and you come once he's done, so he can walk you through each finding in person.
Is mold a deal breaker in a home inspection?
Not on its own. In a humid state like Virginia, some mold in crawl spaces and attics is common. Removing it and adding ventilation or conditioning usually isn't that expensive.
Know what's normal, what's fixable, and what's a reason to walk
With that in hand, you can make each call with the facts in front of you.
If you're getting ready to buy, call me at (540) 359-5539.
You can also see how I work with buyers. I help buyers across Northern Virginia, from Warrenton to Prince William County.
Anthony Constable is a RE/MAX Gateway agent serving buyers and sellers across Northern Virginia as Constable Real Estate. He came to real estate from a career in construction and project management, and he was named Rookie of the Year out of about 130 agents in his office.
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