What are some things I should look for when touring a home for the first time?

Question

I have had two home inspections, $400 each, and both came back with problems I think should have seen. What should I look for when touring a home I am interested in purchasing?

Answer 1

When I look at house I always look for water stains on the ceiling or around the windows. This is a sign of water intrusion and raises a big red flag. Water on the ceiling can also indicate leaking duct work, something else I don't want to deal with.

I open & close every window to make sure that they work.

I look under the sinks to signs of leaky pipes. I open all faucets and flush all toilets and watch for water where there should not be any.

I make sure the floors are not flexing very much.

I like to look at the house after it has just finished raining to make sure that water drains away from the house..

I look at the air handler & the compressor outside to make sure that the coils are clean & that parts are not held on with alligator strips (I have seen that on more than one A/C unit!).

I look at all of the electrical outlets for scorch marks. I open the breaker box to see if the panel is relatively new (I looked at a house last week that actually has fuses!) and that the service is at least 200 amps.

I look to see if there are large trees that are close to the house. If there are I look for damage to the slab from roots or large branches that hang over the roof.

What I do not look at is paint color, floor coverings, window treatments, or anything else that I can change quickly myself.

Answer 2

What you want to look for is the following
-toilet flushing, the faucets, windows, siding, roof, the basement, boiler, floor and walls. I don't mean you have to be an expert to determine some of the things but when you go and look around turn the water on most people who are selling their home don't mind you running the water and opening all the closets if they don't want you to do that then that is a problem. Look at everything and try to go during the day. And ask a million questions

Answer 3

Sweetie, you need a Realtor to explain these to you.

ALL home inspections have things on them...even brand-spanking new ones. No home inspections come back, "Nope, no problems!"

They will put everything down to the last drip of paint on them, that is their job.

Did you know that you can also negotiate repairs? Do you know how much it costs to fix something? Do you know what a home inspection DOESN'T include?

You really, really need a Realtor to go through the home inspection with you and tell you what is important and what is normal age and wear.

If you are looking at resale homes, and are that concerned, I would highly recommend you change to new construction.

Answer 4

nicely i'd like a roof that doesn't % fixing i'm going to look into the sofit and facia and likewise that the roof is straght not 5 layers of shingles you understand what im asserting here i glance into the water heater to work out how previous that's and on the main important appliences like the furnice the appropriate air and the carpet and partitions i seek for fee the fewer I ought to restore the greater suitable. so no holes in the partitions i'm hoping the doors all open and close the over all residing house no broken residing house windows the bacic stuff in different words once I flow in i dont % any unpredicted expenceces no roof leakes and that i will hunt for water spots on partitions and cealings i assume you are able to desire to declare im form of choosy i'm going to make the hassle to be certain the pipes to boot and if i'm i able to % to work out the atic just to get a good theory of ways a lot insulation is up there a dont % to throw away my heating greenback eather. i'm going to additionally look into the conditon of rafters for termite injury etc and then i'm going to do an extremely scruitnizing walk in the direction of the finished residing house i understand that i cant aford to purchase some thing like a house and lose funds on it i keep in mind that i will own it for an prolonged time and that i understand how those intrest expenses are to boot so i'm hoping this allows im purely being truthful with you maximum residing house consumers artwork as pickey as i'm so in case you are able to desire to sell it to me you are able to desire to sell it to all and sundry good luck

Answer 5

imho, having bought two of them so far, the first task is to become very clear on what you want.

we made a specific list after several brainstorming sessions and looking at our friends' houses and situations.

then we began looking for one to buy.

***
now that you've bought two inspections, their checklists are your guide to the details to look at. Some of them, of course, will be beyond your ability to check yourself [the rate of heat gain or reduction of the house's HVAC system, for example].

AND, you now know why the inspection and related one year home guarantee are nearly required by all purchasers -- [the seller pays for the guarantee part, but the buyer chooses the firm] -- there are too many things that could be wrong with a house that many buyers just won't see or aren't qualified to understand.


GL

Answer 6

Failing to make your own inspection

You probably would not want to rely on the seller to point out defects in a house he is attempting to sell. There may even be hidden problems of which he is unaware.

Be sure your sales contract is worded so that any “earnest money deposit” must be returned in the event the house fails inspection. If a major defect is found, you have the option to cancel the contract and have your deposit returned, bargain for a lower price to compensate for the cost of repairing the problem, or have the owner make needed repairs before the sale.

Even before you get to the point of a contract and having a professional inspector look at the house, there are many items you can check yourself as you are shopping for a home.

Structure – Basement, check the foundation for cracks or water marks. Floors, are they level? Does the roof sag?

Water damage – Look for unevenly painted ceiling or wall; mildew odor in basement; signs of re-plastering or re-tiling in just one area of the room.

Water pressure – Flush toilet and turn on both hot and cold water faucets at the same time to test.

Plumbing – Ask what type pipes are installed and their age. If applicable, ask when the septic system was last inspected and cleaned. Stand near the tank to detect odor or soggy ground.

Wiring – A 100-amp system is typical in modern construction and uses a one-inch main line; this can be seen leading to the fuse box. Appliances such as dryer or range require a 220-amp line. Notice if lights flicker or don’t work. Check for electrical outlets . . . usually at least 2 in each room.

Energy efficiency – Ask to check last year’s heating and cooling bills. Determine if proper insulation has been used.

Pests – Be alert for small accumulation of sawdust in the basement. This might indicate an insect problem. Obtain date and results of the last wood-destroying pest inspection.

So during the home inspection be sure to pull up those area rugs and look at the floor underneath. Look behind the paintings on the wall. If a wood floor or wall is badly discolored, this is not something you want to discover on the morning of your scheduled close.


As Mentioned above:

On the interior, you look at structure, you look at the cabinetry, the appliances, the flooring, the walls, the ceilings, the electrical outlets, and the panel. With flooring, for example, you are looking for humps in the floors or anything out of the ordinary. In a crawlspace home, if you have humps in the floor, that means you have moisture underneath your house. Your structure wicks moisture up and when wood gets wet, it expands and makes the flooring hump. If you have a very unsettled house, there would be cracks in the walls and ceilings.

With exteriors, if you have a wood structure or fibrous material on the outside, it is hard to detect any type of movement because you will not see a crack like you would see in a brick house. If you have any movement going on, it is very evident because of cracking. So you look for that and you look for damage on the outside.


If you have a wood exterior, you tend to have more problems in a wood house than you would in any other type of house. Generally speaking, this is because wood has problems with the moisture. If you live where there is alot of rain, for instance in Savannah, Georgia (they get alot of rain) If your house is not dry, wood will wick up that moisture and then you will start having problems. One thing leads to another and it just gets out of hand. It is something you definitely have to look at closely. If you do not, you will have problems down the road for sure.

Foundation: Is it structurally sound? Are there cracks or other evidence of shifting or moisture problems?
General construction: What is the quality of the home’s overall construction?
Exterior: Does the house need exterior repairs or maintenance?
Plumbing: What is the condition of the overall plumbing system? Are there signs of leaks or water pressure problems?
Electrical: Do any dangerous electrical situations or apparent code violations exist?
Heating and cooling systems: How old are the systems? Have they been properly maintained and are they adequate for the size of the house?
Interior: Are floors firm and level or squeaky and slanted? Do doors and windows open and close properly? Are locks in working order?
Kitchen: Do appliances function properly? Is the plumbing, including the dishwasher connection, in good repair (no leaks around faucets or under the sink)?
Baths: Is there any evidence of previous or current water leaks? Is the floor solid? Is the plumbing in good repair (no badly chipped enamel, for example)?
Attached structures: What is the condition of any attached structure, such as decks, garages, and sheds?
Roof: When was the roof last replaced? What is its condition and its estimated remaining life? What is the condition of the roofing structure as well as the shingles?

Answer 7

Talk to your home inspector. You must be good friends with him by now. Ask him this same question. He will be familiar with your area and the problems that are of concern to you.