Oh, you’ve found it! Your dream home. You made an offer before you left the building and now you need to get ready for settlement. But is the house as good a deal as it seems it is? Are any surprises lurking behind the walls? Time to call a home inspector. A good home inspector can help you figure out all the problem areas with the house you are planning to buy so you can make an informed decision. Here are ten things your inspector should check:
- The roof – If he doesn’t at least whip out binoculars to check the roofline, your inspector hasn’t done his job. You can’t really tell the condition of a roof 20 feet above you by staring at it without binoculars.
- The attic – Attics that are improperly insulated can be a problem and you can also check the roof again from the inside.
- The exposed pipes – Seeing a pipe that has a drip or noticing that they are wrapped in asbestos is pretty easy when they’re not in the walls.
- All electrical outlets – An outlet that doesn’t work can be a sign that someone who isn’t a licensed electrician did some creative wiring or it can mean that there is a more serious problem.
- The breaker box or fuse box – If there’s a problem with wiring or fuses, your house can burn down. As someone who has experienced the joy of an exploding fuse box in the house I had prior to this one, I absolutely recommend making sure your inspector checks yours thoroughly.
- The furnace – CO2 problems, cold, cold nights and more. The inspector should take a good look at yours and let you know if you should plan on replacing it soon.
- The water heater – Same thing, except it is cold, cold showers instead of cold, cold nights!
- Water pressure/hidden plumbing issues – You so don’t want to buy a house with broken pipes leaking away in your walls.
- House foundation – Since biblical times, we’ve known a strong foundation is important. Your inspector should get down into crawl spaces if that is the only way to check the house’s supporting structure. You want to know that the foundation is sound.
- Signs of water damage or mold – Sometimes it is really easy to see or smell this problem. “See that fuzzy stuff growing all over? Mold.”
Is there something you wish a home inspector would have checked into when you were buying your house?
Photo: SXC
Post from: Blisstree