When buying a house what should I look for as major problems on the inspection?

Question

I am buying a house for the first time and want to be sure I make the right decisions. I need to know what I should consider major problems to either be fixed by the owner or not go through with it at all. Any suggestions? Thank you for very much! Have a great day!

Answer 1

Foundation--is there a lifetime transferrable warranty? Any work been done on it and if so, how recently?

Termite infestation--look for past infestations and if the house has been properly treated for it.

Central air unit, if applicable--how old is it? Does it currently have a warranty? (My husband and I failed to check out the one in the house we bought and just replaced it last week after almost 3 years of being there. House is 35 years old; unit was put in when the house was built.)

There's a few I would consider major ones, as taking care of these yourself will set you back a lot money-wise.

Answer 2

You want to look for code violations in particular. They are sometimes specific to a city or state. Some of the common ones where I live (Ohio) are:
-3 layers on a roof. This is not a good situation. Homes are not built to hold that amount of weight. Plus the lower two layers trap moisture and will eventually rot out. Roofs are kinda expensive to fix, so if that is an issue, move on to the next house.
-Electrical circuits not up to code. You should steer away from homes with a fuse box. Circuit breakers are safer, plus they hold the right amount of amps for our modern society. Fuses are 60 amp service where breakers are at least 120. Some people try to pull a fast one and put a breaker box over a fuse box. Make sure your inpsector will know a botched job when he sees one. This repair/upgrade is not as expensive as a roof, but it's still a few thousand dollars.
-GFCIs in the kitchen and bathroom. Both of those rooms need grounded outlets b/c they are near water and usually hold high-voltage appliances. This is a minor fix, compared to the other ones, but a licensed electrician needs to do this. It's more than slapping a new plate on - the wries need to be run and grounded properly.
-Mold. (Black or otherwise). This is an expensive problem. You or the seller will be out of thousands of dollars in order to get this problem resolved. RUN to the next house if you see this either in the basement or attic!
Those are the four biggest issues here (our housing stock is old). With extensive roof issues, the owner probably won't fix that. With electical issues, they may or may not. The grounded outlets could be something the seller will take care of. The mold? Forget it. But, that's why you can negotiate. Make sure you have a contingency in your purchase agreement that the inspection has to be clean.
Good luck!

Answer 3

There are so many things to check after buying the house. That is the reason it is advisable to hire professional Home Inspector. You should be able to get the name listing from the Real Estate agent or though yellow pages.


Things to inspects are unlimited to name few are Roof, Windows, Electric Wiring, heating ,air-conditioning plumbing, gas furnace, water heater Attic, exterior of the house , moisture problems , cracks in the basement, structure of the house ,overall house inspection and appliances if they are part of the sale. I always benefited from the home inspections

You can also negotiate the deal if you find problem with the house. I strongly recommend through inspections of the house by professional. Good luck

Answer 4

Make sure all the electric is up to code, make sure the roof isn't going to be in need of repair within three years after purchase, also be sure you know if the water is public or well and if it is well water make sure the septic system isn't going to need to be updated or replaced soon because that is a big expense, Also check for water damage in the basement and good seals around doors and windows because that is going to mess with your heating efficiency. that is all i can think of off the top of my head but if your working with a Realtor ask them for some more advice they are there to be you advocate unless of coarse your working with the sellers Realtor then it might be best to find one that will work for you the buyer. Congrats on a great investment.

Answer 5

I have just purchased a house, and this is the list I am currently going through, not in any order
- Roof
- Carpets
- Insulation
- Flooring (when was it changed, is it uneven)
- Sprinklers
- Water Leakage in basement
- Mold in Attic

Answer 6

Termites, roof, foundation, windows, heating system(boiler), electrical, plumbing.