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What Your Home Inspection Should Cover
- Foundations: Look for cracks or water seepage
- Exterior Brick: Look for cracked bricks or mortar pulling away from bricks
- Insulation Inspection: Look for condition, adequate rating for climate
- Doors and Windows: Look for loose or tight fits, condition of locks, condition of weather stripping
- Roof inspection: Look for age, conditions of flashing, pooling water, buckled shingles, or loose gutters and downspouts
- Ceilings, walls, and moldings: Look for loose pieces, drywall that is pulling away
- Porch/Deck: Loose railings or step, rot
- Electrical inspection: Look for condition of fuse box/circuit breakers, number of outlets in each room
- Plumbing: Look for poor water pressure,, banging pipes, rust spots or corrosion that indicate leaks, sufficient insulation
- Water Heater: Look for age, size adequate for house, speed of recovery, energy rating
- Air Conditioning: Look for age, energy rating; A/C units are rated by efficiency; the higher the rating, the lower your electricity costs.
- Garage: Look for exterior in good repair; condition of floor—cracks, stains, etc.; condition of door mechanism
- Basement: Look for water leakage, musty smell
- Attic: Look for adequate ventilation, water leaks from roof
- Septic Tanks (if applicable): Adequate absorption field capacity for the percolation rate in your area and the size of your family
- Driveways/Sidewalks: Look for cracks, heaving pavement, crumbling near edges, stains
Hidden Home Defects to Watch For:
No home is flawless, but certain physical problems can be expensive. Watch for:
1. Water leaks. Look for stains on ceilings and near the baseboards, especially in basements or attics.
2. Shifting foundations. Look for large cracks along the home’s foundation.
3. Drainage. Look for standing water, either around the foundation of the home of in the yard.
4. Termites. Look for weakened or grooved wood, especially near ground level.
5. Worn roofs. Look for broken or missing copings and buckled shingles as well as water spots on ceilings.
6. Inadequate wiring. Look for antiquated fuse boxes, extension cords (indicating insufficient outlets), and outlets without a place to plug in the grounding prong.
7. Plumbing problems. Very low water pressure, banging in pipes.
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