It’s important to do a preliminary inspection of the home before you make an offer. Once you have a contract, you can hire a professional inspection, but the preliminary inspection you complete will alert you to problems before you make an offer.

When you make the inspection, you’ll be looking at the home, top to bottom, inside out. You should note everything from the condition of the roof, to the floors, windows, plumbing, appliances and insulation. There are so many details, so in order to keep track of them and really understand what you’re looking at, Freddie Mac has created a comprehensive booklet on what inspections entails. Click here to look at the Consumer Home Inspection Kit.