Home Inspection Tips
When ordering a Home Inspection you want to make sure the Inspector covers the following important Items:
Siding - Look for dents of buckling
Foundations - Look for cracks or water seepage
Exterior Brick - Look for cracked bricks or mortar pulling away from bricks
Insulation - Look for condition, adequate rating for climate (the higher the R value, the more effective the insulation is)
Doors and Windows - Look for loose or tight fits, condition of locks, condition of weather-stripping
Roof - Look for age, conditions of flashing, pooling water, buckled shingles, or loose gutters and downspouts
Ceilings, walls, and moulding - Look for loose pieces, dry wall that is pulling away
Porch / Deck - Loose railings or step rot
Electrical - 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 indicates leaks
Water Heater - Look for age, size adequate for house, speed of recovery, energy rating
Furnace/Air Conditioning - Look for age, energy rating. Furnaces are rated by annual fuel utilization efficiency; the higher the rating, the lower your fuel costs will be. However, other factors such as payback period and other operating costs such as electricity to operate motors will determine over all operating costs.
Garage - Look for exterior in good shape, 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
Information Courtesy of the National Association of Realtors. www.realtor.org
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