What Your Home Inspection Should Cover

One of the inspections we strongly recommend that all home buyers have done is a whole house inspection. (So much so, in fact, that if you don't have one done, we'll ask you to sign a waiver of inspection). This is true not only of resale homes -- it's a good idea on new construction as well. A professional home inspector can help you spot the defects in your home -- both major and minor -- before you own it, as well as provide you with valuable information about your home's systems and suggested maintenance.

• Siding: Look for dents or 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
• Doors and Windows: Look for loose or tight fits, condition of locks, condition of weatherstripping
• Roof: 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: 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
• 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. However, other factors such as payback period and other operating costs, such as electricity to operate motors.
• 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