Home Inspection Lists

When searching for a home, especially if you are a first time home buyer, your attention will likely focus on architectural details, modern conveniences, wall and floor coverings, design and many other factors. However, a home inspection should be at the top of your list, as it ensures you are making the right decision and can help you save a lot of money in the long run.

The Essentials of a Home Inspection

A home inspection is designed to assess the structural, mechanical and electrical condition of the property. Basically, it gives the real estate agent or the potential home buyer a system to detect some of the readily accessible major flaws in the significant components and systems of a home. Still, a home inspection is not designed to facilitate detection of all flaws, problems or occurrences that may exist in any home, even new ones.

Home Inspection Checklist

Professional home inspectors, trained to follow the American Society Home Inspectors (ASHI) standards, have a well-defined system to help them maximize time efficiency and ensure all major sections of the home are taken into consideration. To help you get a better grasp of the process, here is a simplified overview of systems that professional home inspectors use when inspecting a home, with a checklist to guide you in your own inspection.

First of all, keep in mind that an American home inspector’s standard practice typically does not include inspecting asbestos, radon gas, toxic mold, or pest control, for which a license to inspect and identify is required. They may, however, suggest some Environmental Testing for your property.

The Big Picture

When inspecting a home, start with the big picture of the home. Notice the area it is located in and check for other homes of similar age and construction details relevant to the home you are inspecting. A comparison will give you a general idea of the upkeep of the home. Inquire whether there have been significant modifications to the exterior of the building and if so, how is the workmanship.

Exterior

Start inspecting from the exterior of the house and work your way around it, at a distance which allows you to view a complete face (front, sides, rear) comfortably. On each face, start your visual inspection at the top of the structure and work your way down to the ground and lot area. For instance, you can start at the front and look at the roof an chimneys, gutters, fascia, then move down the exterior wall coverings (wood, brick, aluminum) and look at the doors and widows and so on. Also, take a close look at any porches or decks down to the foundation, the grade or slope of the lot area, then examine any coverings such as flower beds, walkways, driveways, interlocking bricks etc. Moving closer to the house, look t all details that catch your eye. Do the same procedure for each face of the house, roof to ground.

Interior

Once inside, start inspecting the basement then follow the system throughout each floor of the house. Examine the floor, look at the walls and ceiling, then consider any appliances or other items in the room. Move from room to room and look closely at all items and areas. In the basement’s utility room look at the floor, the walls(foundation walls may be visible here), the ceiling (floor joints may be visible), the furnace, hot water heater, electrical panel, plumbing system and so on. When inspecting the floors, walls and ceilings, scan the entire area. In a finished room notice the floors (check for stains or damaged areas), walls (including doors and windows) and ceiling. Look for the heat sources, heating and cooling systems, electrical outlets and switches, fireplaces, closets. Moving on to the bathroom or kitchen, look at the floor, walls and ceiling, check the water pressure, water heater, wall coverings, light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, peeling paint and so on.

Condition

While conducting your very own home inspection, whether at the exterior, interior or the mechanical systems, examine the system first, then its relative condition. For instance, if you are inspecting a wall on the interior of the home, you would notice first that the wall is plaster, then look for cracks and irregularities, doors and windows, blinds and curtains and whatever else.

There are many aspects to be taken into consideration when conducting a home inspection, and for the untrained eye some of them may be rather difficult to identify. Here are some typical problems or occurrences to look for in the major components and systems of a home:

Roof

When examining the roof, note whether the ridge (peak) has a sag, or it is straight and level. If it does show a sag, look whether it is sagging between the rafters or trusses, then look for any signs of deterioration of asphalt shingles such as warping, curling, broken edges, rounded corners or key holes (slits) becoming wider than normal, and other such issues. In addition, look for any loose flashing at the chimney, roof-to-wall connection or elsewhere. Look at the roof deck and check whether it’s rotten or delaminate under the last row of shingles.

Chimneys

Look at the masonry cap and check to see of its cracked or broken, check if there are any bricks flaking or missing, any mortar missing and make sure the chimney is not leaning.

Soffits and Fascia

Examine whether the soffit and fascia are wood, aluminum or plastic, look for any loose or missing sections, and if they’re wood, check for peeling paint or rotting.

Gutters and Downspouts

Make sure gutters slope down toward downspouts and check for rust or peeling paint, leaks or loose/sagging sections, and check whether the downspouts are extended away from the foundations.

Wall Coverings

When inspecting wall coverings, first of all look for missing mortar and check whether the bricks are flaking or cracking. Look for loose, missing or rotten siding, as well as deteriorated paint.Check whether the siding appears new and whether it hides the foundation wall, and inspect exterior walls as well to ensure they are not bowed, bulged or leaning.

Doors and Windows

Look for any problems with caulking or paint, as well as rotting wood components. Examine the windows, check if they are new or older, if they are the original windows, how old they are etc.

Porches and Decks

Check for cracking or flaking masonry, paint problems, rotten wood, wood-earth contact, note any settlement or separation from the house and if accessible, inspect the underside as well.

Foundations

Looking at the foundations, again check for any cracks, flaking or damaged masonry, note any water markings and efflorescence (a whitish, chalky substance) and look for any bowing, bulging or other irregularities.

A home inspection checklist should include all the important details that should be evaluated before the purchase of a home is finalized. And considering that once you buy a home, any work that needs to be done becomes your responsibility, a detailed home inspection report and a checklist for home repair can save you a lot of trouble. Home inspection checklists are used by both professional inspectors (you can find them in the American home inspector directory) and regular people looking to buy or sell a house.

Professional checklists are used by professional home inspectors all the time. Sometimes, these forms are created by inspection software companies, but there are also home inspectors who prefer to create their own checklists based on their professional experiences. Such forms should list a wide variety of common issues seen by inspectors that may indicate potential problems within a home. Still, the items on the checklist do not indicate a definite reason why a home is not fir to be put on the real estate market, it just points to things that should be repaired or replaced before the new owners move in. How home repair or other problems identified are handled is up to the seller and the potential buyer.

Informational house inspection checklists, on the other hand, can be very useful in identifying some issues, but should not be considered a viable substitute for a complete professional inspection report. It can still serve as a home buyers guide or help the seller get the full value of their home by identifying and fixing any potential issues, so real estate agents can market the place properly.