An inspector is a person who examines any system or component of a building in accordance with the standards of practice. It is not advisable to try to cut costs by skipping on the inspection. This is money well spent and paying someone to inspect the home now may prevent many more dollars being spent in the future on resolving issues that would have been highlighted during an inspection. When writing up a contract, it is always advisable to have the offer contingent on an inspection. If anything major comes to light during the inspection you can get out of the contract or decide to negotiate a lower price and repair the problem. It is recommended to get the inspection completed as early as possible. Do not to leave it to the last minute so you have ample time to work with the seller on any issues that have come to light from the inspection. Once the offer has been accepted by the seller, the buyer is required to have the inspection completed within five to ten days after this date.