| Before making an offer on a home, nearly all | | | | Walls, Floors and Ceilings - All walls, |
| real estate experts recommend conducting | | | | floors and ceilings inside the home should be |
| extensive inspections. Home inspections are | | | | checked for the presence of water damage - |
| designed to protect you from unexpected | | | | usually present as mold or other stains - and |
| repairs and costs after move-in. If any | | | | signs of insects or pests. The areas near |
| problems are found during a pre-sale | | | | plumbing fixtures should be given extra |
| inspection, the buyer can then negotiate with | | | | attention to check for mold and water damage, |
| the seller to have the issues resolved before | | | | while gaps or cracks in exterior walls should |
| closing or incorporate the cost of repairs | | | | be checked for the presence of insects. |
| into the offer. By assuring the buyer that | | | | Lastly, all wall and floor surfaces - such as |
| they are purchasing the best home for their | | | | paint, plaster, wood floors, tile bathrooms |
| money, home inspections are an invaluable | | | | and carpet - should be checked for overall |
| resource in the home buying process. | | | | condition. |
| | | | |
| In most cases, home inspections analyze a | | | | Appliances - Typically, home inspectors will |
| number of factors both inside and outside the | | | | run one dishwasher cycle and check all |
| home. We begin with the six most critical | | | | functions of the oven and stove. If the home |
| inspection concerns for the exterior of the | | | | is being sold with a full set of appliances, |
| home. | | | | it is wise to check the working order of |
| | | | refrigerators, washers, dryers and |
| Foundation - The most important thing to | | | | microwaves. |
| check for in the foundation are cracks. If | | | | |
| any cracks or irregularities are noticed in | | | | Electrical, Heating and Cooling Systems - |
| the foundation, a further inspection may be | | | | These inspections of the home's |
| needed to check the integrity of the | | | | infrastructure are some of the most telling |
| construction. | | | | assessments of a property's quality and, by |
| | | | extension, value. An inspection of the |
| Roof - When the roof is inspected, it must | | | | electrical system will typically test all |
| first be determined if any leaks are present. | | | | outlets, light fixtures and circuit breakers. |
| If the roof is free of leaks, a proper | | | | If it is an older home, an inspection should |
| inspection will then attempt to determine if | | | | look for updated features such as ground |
| the roof possesses any flaws that could cause | | | | fault interrupt (GFI) outlets in the |
| leaks in the future. During inspection, it is | | | | bathrooms and kitchen. When checking heating |
| also important to notice if any large trees | | | | and cooling systems, inspectors typically |
| hang over the home. Wet leaves from such | | | | test the furnace, monitor the response of the |
| trees can sometimes cause serious problems | | | | thermostat and assess the overall ventilation |
| for homeowners. | | | | of the home. |
| | | | |
| Drainage - The most important thing to | | | | Plumbing - The inspection of the plumbing |
| consider is how the home is situated on the | | | | system begins with a check for leaks around |
| property. To ensure adequate drainage and | | | | all fixtures and pipes. Next, both cold and |
| prevent flooding in the home, the surrounding | | | | hot water pressure should be tested by |
| land should slope away from the home and 6-8 | | | | turning on multiple faucets. In the |
| inches of the concrete foundation should be | | | | bathrooms, the areas around each bathtub and |
| visible. Additionally, all gutters and | | | | shower should be inspected for water damage. |
| drainage spouts should be angled away from | | | | Lastly, try to ensure that the hot water |
| the home. | | | | heater is up to code and functioning |
| | | | properly. |
| Windows and Doors - Besides looking for | | | | |
| broken glass, a check of the windows should | | | | Basement - If the home has a basement, the |
| cover many factors. Ideally, all windows | | | | most important thing to check for is the |
| should open and close properly with a good | | | | presence of water damage. An inspection of |
| seal, be free of rot around the window sills | | | | the basement is primarily an extension of the |
| and have all screens intact. Similarly, all | | | | previously mentioned check for walls, floors |
| doors opening to the exterior should open and | | | | and ceilings. |
| close properly with a good seal to prevent | | | | |
| extra heating and cooling costs. | | | | Chimney and Fireplace - An inspection of the |
| | | | chimney and each fireplace will check for |
| Siding, Trim, Gutters and Paint - An | | | | loose bricks and mortar, assess the overall |
| inspection of the exterior siding or paint | | | | stability and check for obstructions within |
| should check for the presence of bubbling or | | | | the chimney. |
| peeling. Also, all exterior fixtures that do | | | | |
| not impact the structural integrity - such as | | | | Keep in mind, if an inspection uncovers a |
| ornamental trim and rain gutters - should be | | | | problem, you should not necessarily be |
| checked for overall condition. | | | | deterred from buying the home. More than |
| | | | anything, the inspection will help you |
| Decks and Porches - If the home has a deck or | | | | determine the value of the home and prevent |
| porch, the inspection will try to uncover the | | | | you from overpaying or experiencing unwanted |
| presence of rot or insect damage. | | | | repairs. Depending on what is uncovered |
| | | | during the inspection, you may want to |
| Now, we will look at six factors that should | | | | conduct an additional inspection of the |
| be thoroughly inspected within the interior | | | | problematic element or simply work with the |
| of the home. | | | | seller to resolve the issue as part of your |
| | | | offer. |