You've spent months, possibly years trying to find the perfect home and have finally narrowed down your final selection. Congratulations! Being a first time homebuyer can be a long and stressful process, and the final steps before closing the deal on your dream house involve doing the final inspection.

Finding out what the major flaws of the home for sale is and determining how much repairs will cost can help you make the right offer for the place. It will also prevent you from overpaying for a house that might need complete remodelling or major repairs by deducting the cost of repairs from your original offer, if possible. Make notes about the repairs needed to be made as you go about conducting your inspection tour. Here are some tips on how to conduct a final inspection:

1. Major scratches on linoleum floors, countertops or walls. Take a close look at the floors and countertops in the bathrooms and kitchen to make sure there are not any major dents or scratches that would require a complete replacement. Take your time to walk through each area slowly so you don't miss these important details.

2. Inspect the stairs. There may be stairs that lead to the basement, to the next floor or to the attic. Each and every step of the stairs has to be check to see if they are still structurally sound. Walk up and down it, applying pressure on the different areas. Listen for creaks or similar noises and feel if the step gives out when pressure is applied. Check the railings if all posts are complete and if any part is loose by trying to shake it.

3. Test all doors, windows and cabinets. To conduct this test, open and close each one to see if the move with ease. Check the locks, knobs, pulls and hinges to find out if they need to be replaced. This part of the final inspection can be a bit more time consuming and quite tasking but it is to your advantage to be aware of every detail about the home you will be buying.

4. Look for signs of cracking or chips on the exterior. The exterior of your home is one of the hardest areas to inspect, but it's an important part of the final inspection nonetheless. You will need to look for any noticeable cracks or chips in the walls to determine if these are indications of a bigger structural problem. This is where a professional building inspector can help.

5. Inspect the roof. To check the roof, you would have to climb up on top of it or at least see if from the gutter level. See if there are signs of damage and determine if the gutters are in good shape. You may want to hire a roofing specialist to do this part of the final inspection.

6. Check all electrical components. Make sure all of the outlets are working properly and that light fixtures are in good shape. These can be expensive to fix or replace, and if these will be your responsibility, you need to know exactly how much these are going to cost. Many first time homebuyers don't think it's necessary to check the electrical components because an electrical contractor will work with the house inspector before the sale. However, you can check for obvious problems before paying the contractor to fix the problem.

When looking for MN homes for sale, searching the internet is one of the easiest ways to find the types of property your looking for. People use the Minnesota MLS to view most of the homes that are currently on the market.