While there is a wide array of structural issues that can be unveiled from a home inspection – from poor insulation that is draining your property's energy efficiency to literal cracks in your house's foundations – there are other problems that a home inspection contractor can discover that may not be having as obvious an impact on your day-to-day life.

Termites, for example, may be feasting on your home right now, but if you don't know how to detect the signs of an infestation, you might not think to call an exterminator before it's too late. Here is a list of tell-tale indicators that your house is being inhabited by wood-eating pests.

• Buckling – If there appears to be paint buckling in a wall or your ceiling, there is a chance that termites have started building a nest within the wall, and that it may be growing. Another indicator is if you notice tiny holes in the plaster near a subtle bulge – a whole colony of these bugs could be living beneath.
  
• Mud tunnels – Termites will create paths for themselves from a subterranean nest – these bugs prefer living in moist, muddy areas – to a food source, like your back deck, for instance. These can be broken open and inspected for live termites, though if the tunnel is dried out, it is likely the termites have moved on.
  
• Piles of wings – One part of these pest's development involves them shedding their wings. If you notice a buildup of wings near a window or a light source in your house, a swarm may have already arrived.

Cover all your bases and have not only an exterminator come by your house, but have a home inspection contractor stop in to look for any other deficiencies.