In your excitement to buy a home, it’s easy to miss a small crack in the foundation, or some leaky pipes under the house, or a roof that needs to be replaced. While sellers worked hard to make a home look as desirable as possible, looks don’t tell the whole story.

That’s where your home inspection comes in.

A professional home inspection will alert you to things—both big and small—that you really need to know about before you purchase your home. (Any lender worth his or her salt will want to know about them, too, because they’re using your home as collateral for the loan.) If a home inspection reveals something unexpected, like a bad foundation, old plumbing pipes, faulty wiring, or termite damage, you can typically re-negotiate your deal, or walk away without a penalty.

A new home is going to be one of the biggest purchases of your life, so it’s important to know exactly what you’re buying. The best way to make sure you’re making a great investment and not taking on a massive expense is through a professional home inspection.

If you’re a home buyer, you might ask yourself whether or not you can afford a home inspection. We think you should ask yourself whether you can afford to skip one.