The prospect of house hunting and owning your first home (or selling your first home) can be exhilarating. However, this overwhelming excitement can cause you to overlook important parts of the buying process, such as conducting a home inspection. Even if a house looks move-in ready, you’re still going to want to conduct a thorough home inspection to make sure that no inherent issues exist with the structure or appliances. After all, the more problems there are with the house, the more it’s going to cost you to take care of these later on. Whether you’re hiring someone for your inspection or doing a quick sweep through yourself, here are some of the key areas you should be examining during the process.
Foundation and water drainage issues
While foundation issues can occur on their own, they often go hand in hand with water drainage issues. This is because water that is allowed to flow back towards the house can deteriorate the materials your house is made of. When this happens, you can end up dealing with serious mold and mildew issues, insect problems, and other conditions that may make it dangerous to live in the house without making some serious repairs first. Take a close look at the gutters and drain pipes around the house to make sure that they’re functioning properly. If there’s anything wrong with these areas, do what you must to eliminate any moisture or damage before buying or selling.
Old or faulty electrical and plumbing systems
Older electrical systems contain wiring methods that may be dangerous. When circuit breakers are tripped on these types of systems, you may end up with fires and electric shocks as a result. Even if you’re not looking at or selling a house that is older, there’s always the potential that the house was not wired properly or that the wiring has somehow worn down throughout the years. Similarly, plumbing systems that have been in use or out of commission for a significant amount of time can have issues. A home inspection will review the overall water pressure and whether or not there are any issues in the piping that takes waste out of your home. Along with the foundation, these are two important areas that must be checked during a home inspection.
Roof and chimney strength and quality
Because the roof is out of sight, it’s often also out of mind. However, the roof is what keeps out unwanted moisture and other elements of nature that may also be trying to get in. Roofs that have been ignored will show signs of rotting and moisture underneath the shingles. This can then affect the space directly underneath the roof. If you have a chimney, it will also need to be inspected. Despite being sturdy, chimneys can still break down and wear away over time. Your entire roof should be watertight so that nothing comes in and the only thing that goes out is the smoke from your fireplace.
Along with these main sections that need to be checked during an inspection, you will also want to examine your HVAC system, any internal fan systems, and potentially dangerous building materials. If you need a home inspection but aren’t able to conduct it yourself, reach out to a professional company such as Above All Leveling to take care of the inspection process and some of the more difficult repairs.
To read more on topics like this, check out the life hacks category.