After a qualified home inspector has completed your home inspection report and sent it over to you, the prospective home buyer, you may feel overwhelmed by any flaws that might have been found and may find the report confusing. That’s why it is so important that you then now take this opportunity to learn more, so that you can move forward confidently in the transaction of your new home.

A recent article at realtor.com® recommends that home buyers ask their home inspector follow-up questions like: “Is this a major or minor problem?” or “I don’t understand this; what does it mean?” or “Do I need to call in another expert for a follow-up to this particular issue or is this a concern for me?”

Most home inspectors are bound to uncover something in a home; know that no home is 100% perfect. But the majority of the problems inspectors uncover will likely be minor. Have the professional home inspector clarify which problems fall within the “minor” or “major” categories. Please keep mindful that the inspector cannot tell you, that a seller should pay for this or that, based on the report. Just be sure to understand what needs to be done.

If the home inspector identifies a potentially major problem, you as the potential home buyer will want to follow up, like calling in an additional expert to investigate further. You may want to contact and bring in a qualified electrician to take a closer look at potential electrical issues that were flagged on the home inspection report, or a roofer if a roofing problem is discovered. Those specialists can give an idea of the cost to fix it, which the real estate agent can then take to the seller to request a concession, if the seller doesn’t want to fix it prior to the sale. A list of the items a home inspector identifies as issues should be taken to the real estate agent, to negotiate with the seller and be addressed prior to signing the contract and moving in.