A proper home inspection is an important process when purchasing a home. Here are some items that are essential to inspect before purchasing a home:
1. Appliances: Check that the microwave, dishwasher, clothes washer and drier are all in working order. Have your home inspector document the brand names and year of all appliances to prevent a dishonest seller from swapping them out with broken equipment or older models.
2. Electrical: You home inspector should look inside the electrical panel at the gauge of the wiring and the condition of the box. Look for evidence of fire, melted wiring and wrong-size circuit breakers. Also test every outlet in house.
3. Fireplace: Fireplaces and chimneys should be inspected each year by a licensed chimney sweep. Your home inspector should refer the inspection to a professional if he feels it's beyond the scope of his expertise.
4. Heating and Air Conditioning: He checks for any problems with the heating and the air conditioning. The tests are done more easily on a seasonal basis, since it's difficult to check the air conditioning when it's cold outside and tough to sense the heat is working in August.
5. Exterior: Your home inspector looks for proper water drainage, grating and landscaping. Examine the condition of the home's outside, including paint, siding and trim, and he looks for any wood rot.
6. Roofing: The best way for your home inspector to examine your roof is to walk it. Looks for broken, missing or cracked shingles and for moss and rot. If a roof is aging, he will see mineral deposits collecting in the down spouts.
7. Interior: Your home inspector doesn't write up anything cosmetic, but he should check anything to do with safety, such as railings and smoke detectors. Look at the windows, doors, tiling and flooring. Also perform radon testing, since radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer
8. Plumbing: Your home inspector should look under the sinks and the main water valve into the house. Run every tap, and checks every pipe and tap for leaks. Also make sure the sump pump is in working order.
9. Structure: Examine the foundation for cracks. Some are meaningless, but some are signs of movement. A horizontal crack or a bowed wall can mean foundation movement, sometimes caused by clay soil. In that case, refer the case to a structural engineer.
10. Ventilation and Insulation: Your home inspector should inspect the insulation and vapor retarders in unfinished spaces. Check the ventilation of attics and foundation areas and test mechanical ventilation systems. Also check for absence of insulation in unfinished spaces.
Source: AOL Real Estate News