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What
a Home Inspector 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 weather-stripping
- 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 steps, rot
- Electrical:
Look for condition of fuse box/circuit breakers, numbers
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, there are 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: 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.
Reprinted
from REALTOR®
Magazine
Online by permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
Copyright
2005. All rights reserved. www.REALTOR.org/realtormag
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