What Your Home Inspection Should Cover

§ 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

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Reprinted from REALTOR^® Magazine Online by permission of the

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