Home Maintenance Inspections (HMIs) were developed with the knowledge that all homes include systems (appliances, Heating-A/C, electrical, etc.) and a structure (foundations, frame, roof, etc.) that are built with "planned obsolescence" in mind. In other words, your home's systems and structure will eventually become crippled and eventually break. The question isn't "if", but rather "when". HMIs help you to identify existing and potential defects in those systems and structures before they cause a bigger, more expensive problem. Depending on the type of HMI employed, these types of inspections are also very useful in identifying potential water leaks and energy loss. What distinguishes HMIs from buyer-seller inspections is that they are performed in homes with current occupants instead of during a real estate buyer-seller transaction.