Sometimes, there are things that you just got to do on your own even when it comes to home inspection. To be sure that the house you want to buy is really your “dream house”, you need to hire a home inspector. This person can help you find out if the house of your dreams is really a safe and nice place to live in. He should be going through a home inspections checklist in order to determine so.
You have to always remember that a family home is the biggest investment that you can ever make but it can become your gravest mistake if you go into it without any sufficient care of inspecting the property before moving in.
However, as what was said, there are times when you need to do things yourself. If you are the type of person who wants to do it the DIY or “do-it-yourself” way, here is a basic yet comprehensive home inspections checklist for you to read and learn. If you encounter difficulties in any aspect of home inspection, you can always try to find a professional home inspector.
This checklist consists of areas to be inspected in, out, and around the house.
The Garden
• Try to see the condition of the gates and fences of the garden. Can the gates be secured easily and can’t be opened conveniently from the outside? Are the fence posts still in their tip-top shape?
• Large trees can cause obstruction and even danger to the property and your family. There might be large trees with branches intertwining with electrical wires or some of its branches are already brittle and are about to fall off.
• There might be some poisonous trees and shrubs all over the place. Try to check carefully if there are. They really are very dangerous.
Exterior of the house
• Is the structure of the house still in good condition? Look for some possible leaks when rain comes. Try to check the roof gutter if it is filled with dirt, grime or leaves from trees.
• Electricity is man’s friend but it can be its worst enemy, too. Try to look for badly-wired electrical fittings and broken power points. Are the light/electrical switches and wall sockets around the house still in good condition? There might be some electrical connections that are loose. Have them checked out intensively by a professional electrician if you are in doubt.
Check the outside walls of the house.
• Try to check for rotten weatherboards. Check the windows, doors and door frames if they are still okay or not. A door that is difficult to open or close can be very dangerous in times of natural calamities like earthquakes.
Check out the floors, too.
• If the floor is made of timber, try to look for stumps with the heaviest water stain.
• Check for some termite infestations. If you see some, have them checked by an exterminator. There might be some termite “shelter tubes” on the floor.
Have a good look at the heater.
• Heaters keep everybody warm. But, it can be unsafe, too, especially if it’s not working properly and it has some loose parts. Try to check the heater if it gives off sounds like gurgling, popping or snapping. If it does, then, go and get help from a professional or you can do the flushing of sediment yourself. Flushing with 3 to 4 gallons prolongs the heater’s life span.
Look out for those cracks in the foundation.
• The foundation of a house should be solid rock. If there are hairline cracks, it is nothing to worry about. But, if the cracks are both vertical and horizontal and they are already big, it’s time to call in a professional.
After you have finished with this home inspection checklist, it is time for you to decide whether to call in a professional for a specific problem if there are any. Yes, you can do the checking of the house for some problems but a professional home inspector can do more. If you think that there are some things that need to be done by an expert, don’t hesitate to call one.