| Ok, I want to make it perfectly clear:
There is no substitution for having a trained professional look at a house and perform an inspection. You should use the information on this page only to do your own initial evaluation.
There are the major componants of every house that you should look over to fully evaluate your investment. This page will cover the major bases.
The foundation . The foundation is the base of your house. It's the concrete slab under your house. It can even include the cement walls of your basement. Generally, the deeper the foundation, the better. Because the foundation is the base of your house you're going to want to look at it and watch for cracks. If the foundation is unlevel, you're going to take notes. Always be aware of any "bowing" in the vertical walls of the basement. The house's age will come into play as older homes usually show the stress of years.
Are any floors in the house unlevel? This maybe in part, because of the foundation. Foundations settle over time. If there's any signs of cracks, bowing, or anything else unnatural, you'll want an inspector to take a closer look. Foundations can be very expensive to fix.
The roof. The roof is an important piece of the puzzle. It keeps all of the rain and snow out. It also helps to keep the heat in. You're going to want to look at the roof and determine if there is any missing shingles. Missing shingles can be a sign of an aging roof that is falling apart. Do you see any shingles on the ground? Are there water marks on the ceillings? Are the shingles faded? Fading is the first sign of wear. You'll want to ask the owner when the roof was put on. The average roof can cost betweeen $3,000 and $10,000. So you'll want to take the roof into consideration.
The plumbing. There are a lot of older houses in this area. Is the plumbing sufficient and is it updated? The galvanized pipes once used have been made obsolete with steel pipes. Steels pipes last virtually forever and galvanized pipes for about 30 years.
Do you notice any leeks under the sinks? Does that bathroom toilet run forever before the tank fills. These are all minor things, but you should be aware of them.
The electrical. This can be a very dangerous thing to look at yourself. A trained professional should make sure all the wiring is updated including the correct voltage. He'll make sure all of the outlets work and that every power source is grounded.
heating. You should take not of the the furnance's energy rating. The higher the better. typically, 94% would be considered good. The rest of the heating inspection should be done by a trained professional. He'll investigate any possible gas leaks.
Here are some additional things that your inspector will look for:
- rotting of any wood including window sills
If you are interested in talking to an inspector, please send us a quick note using the form below. Please include your address and phone number.
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