Not sure I totally agree with the idea that a separate inspection is always necessary, especially if you’re trying to keep costs down. I get the concern—nobody wants to move in and find out the place is falling apart—but I’ve bought two homes with VA loans and skipped the extra inspection both times. The VA appraisal isn’t super detailed, but it does catch the big stuff that could make the house unlivable or unsafe.
It almost felt like a “good enough” stamp rather than a deep dive.
That’s fair, but sometimes “good enough” is actually... well, good enough, at least for folks who aren’t super picky or are handy themselves. If you’re comfortable fixing minor things or you’ve got a tight budget, that extra $400-600 for an inspection might be better spent elsewhere, like on repairs you know you’ll need or boosting your emergency fund. Not saying it’s for everyone, but it’s not always a disaster to skip it.
Just my two cents—sometimes you’ve gotta weigh the risk vs. reward, especially with all the other fees piling up.
I get wanting to save money, but I’ve seen buyers regret skipping the inspection when hidden issues pop up later—stuff the VA appraisal just doesn’t cover. Have you ever run into surprises after closing, or did things work out fine?
Title: Does a VA loan require an inspection? What are the VA loan inspection requirements for buyers and spouses?
I’ve seen this play out both ways with clients. The VA appraisal checks for minimum property standards, but it’s not a full inspection—it won’t catch everything. One client skipped the home inspection to save a few hundred bucks and ended up with a major plumbing issue that cost thousands. I get wanting to cut costs, but I’d say the inspection is worth it for peace of mind. The appraisal just isn’t enough to spot hidden stuff.
Can’t agree more about the difference between an appraisal and a real inspection. We bought our place with a VA loan last year, and the appraisal barely scratched the surface—just enough to make sure the house wasn’t falling over. The inspection found a few things we never would’ve noticed. Honestly, spending that extra bit upfront saved us a headache later. It’s tempting to skip it, but I’d always recommend getting one.
From what I’ve seen, a lot of people get tripped up by the difference between a VA appraisal and an actual home inspection. The VA does *require* an appraisal, but not a full-blown inspection. That’s where I think it gets confusing—just because the lender wants to make sure the house meets their “minimum property requirements” doesn’t mean they’re checking everything you’d actually care about living with day-to-day. Like, they’ll flag peeling paint or a busted heater, but they’re not crawling around in the attic or looking for leaky pipes behind the walls.
We bought last fall using a VA loan and honestly, I almost skipped the separate inspection just to save money. At the time, it felt like overkill since we were already paying for the appraisal and all these other fees. But our realtor really pushed for it, and I’m glad she did. The inspector found some stuff with old wiring in one room that would’ve been a nightmare to find later (and probably expensive). But yeah, if you’re on a tight budget, it’s tempting to roll the dice.
As far as requirements go, unless your state or local area has something extra, the VA just wants that appraisal done—the inspection is totally optional from their side. I guess technically you could buy without one if you really wanted to risk it? Personally, even though I hate spending more upfront, I’d rather know what I’m getting into than deal with a surprise down the road.
One thing I will say: some sellers try to talk buyers out of inspections “to save time,” especially when there are multiple offers. That always makes me suspicious. If someone’s pushing hard for me to skip something that protects me...yeah, red flag.
Anyway, my take is do your own inspection even if it stings a little financially at first. It’s not required by the VA but it can save you way more than it costs if something’s lurking under the surface.