Friday, February 13, 2015

How To Perform Home Inspections

By Beryl Dalton


For any house that you are interested in purchasing, it is best that you spend a few hours inspecting it prior to paying for it. Conducting the home inspections by yourself cannot only help you unearth any problems that are present, but it also helps you learn more about the property. It is therefore recommended that you do it as soon as possible.

To make sure that nothing gets left out in your assessment, it will be best to make sure you divide the assessment into categories. In the first category, you can have the exterior aspect. That means that the interior side will take up the second category.

Begin the exterior assessment by inspecting the chimney, the roof and the gutters. The chimney needs to be straight with no bricks or mortars missing. As for the gutters, what you need to do is make sure they are still firmly attached to the sides.

Examine the siding of this house. With a siding, you will need to pay attention to whether there are sections that are either missing or are discolored. All walls must be straight, with no bulging, or bowing being noted in anywhere. Where the exterior has been constructed out of bricks or stones, check for those that could be missing.

The entire weight of a house rests on the foundation area. If the foundation is weak, it will only be a matter of time before things starts falling apart. You therefore have to check for the presence of cracks and shifting.

Finish off the exterior assessment by taking a look at the house doors. Doors, especially exterior doors are often subject to damage by extreme weather elements. You will therefore need to make sure that you examine each door for any signs of weather stripping. Weather stripping is common at the bottom part of each door.

Windows should be the first thing you examine when inside the residence. In many cases, the windows are left wide open. Move them from side to side without exerting pressure and note down your findings. You should also test all the locks found on the doors and in the windows.

Walk through the property as you check out the different sections of the existing carpet. A carpet that has become worn out is easy to tell. It will have some patches in sections that are over used. In addition to wear and tear, you should also be on the look out for the presence of any odors.

Do not forget to examine the ceiling. With the ceiling, the main thing to check for is whether it has stained in any areas. Staining is often brought about by leaks taking place. Leaks are common in properties that have roofs with holes.

Complete your assessment by visiting the kitchen to confirm that everything is working as it should. Always take note of the appliances that are present in the kitchen and what their age is. It is possible to anticipate problems with an appliance by checking out the year it was manufactured and also checking for its service record.




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