Expert reveals why you should never skip a home inspection - even if it helps you 'get the house you want'

A professional home inspector has issued a stark warning to homebuyers about the dangers of skipping a pre-purchase inspection - arguing that agreeing to skip this important step in an attempt to give your offer an edge in a competitive market could end in disaster.

Randall Loftin, a home inspector from the Dallas-Forth Worth area, posted on his TikTok account to urge anyone thinking of buying a new home to make sure it's properly inspected.

Sharing his video with the caption, "Never give up on a home inspection," Loftin explained that some people will offer to forgo a home inspection because they believe doing so might make their offer more attractive to a seller, especially if that seller has received interest from multiple people.

He went on to emphasize his point by revealing the types of expensive, but hidden, problems a new home owner may encounter after moving into their property if it is not inspected beforehand.

"I can't believe I'm still hearing that people are giving up inspections just to get the house they want," he says while taking a tour of the recently renovated house, adding that he's going to give viewers "a great example of why home inspections are important."

Entering the bathroom inside the house, Loftin goes on to point out the many aspects of the room that might lead the untrained eye to assume there is nothing wrong with it.

"We have a fresh and clean shower and bathtub," he notes. "Seems unarmed, everything looks beautiful. The bathroom is clean, all the tiles are new, the accessories are new.

"But I just put about two to three inches of water in this tub, drained it, and there we have it," he continues, before panning the camera away to reveal a huge leak spreading through the carpet of the next room—apparently from the tub in question.

Loftin points out that this is the type of problem he would notice in a routine inspection, and explains: "As a home inspector, I'm going to check all these things. The supply pipeline and then the drainage, and make sure everything works as planned."

The home inspector video sparked some discussion in the comments, with several people stating that they found it almost impossible to buy a home if they even suggested they wanted it inspected beforehand.

"There are a lot of markets where you literally can't buy a house if you ask for an inspection," one person argued. "The offer will not be accepted."

A second person added: "The reason I didn't get a house is that every time I tried to get one that I wanted someone gave up on the inspection and that's why the other people were able to buy the house before me."

However, others spoke out in support of home inspectors, explaining that in their experience, an inspection is an essential part of the home buying process.

“A home inspection was the only fun thing about buying a home,” wrote one commenter, while another said: “If I couldn't do a home inspection then the house wasn't meant to be mine. This is too big a purchase!”

In common practice, an inspector inspects a home and points out any deficiencies, from a leaky roof to a faulty foundation. Home inspections usually occur within days of receiving your offer but before you close the deal.

That way, you can accurately gauge whether you really want to move forward, cut your losses, or renegotiate with the seller for a fairer price.

For most people, a good general inspector is all you need. Inspectors only check the visible parts of the house – they can't open walls – so if your inspector flags something that doesn't seem right, you'll probably need to call someone else to dig deeper. It is not at all uncommon to bring in an HVAC specialist, electrician, roofer or plumber to give you an expert opinion based on a problem the inspector noted in the report.

However, there are supervisors who specialize in certain types of subjects.

If you're buying commercial property, you'll want an inspector who knows the requirements for the type of business you're running. If you're buying an older home, you'll want someone familiar with historic homes and the common problems associated with them.

There are experts in radon testing, lead testing, FHA certification and all sorts of other specific concerns. If you need someone with expertise, this will quickly narrow your search even further.