Although architectural particulars, wall and floor coverings, modern amenities, and many other factors are important in the buying decision, the focus of this property inspection checklist is on the structural/mechanical/electrical state of the property.
The property inspection checklist is designed to give the real estate agent or approaching purchaser a system to detect some of the readily accessible major errors or deficiencies in the significant components and systems of a home.
It is not designed to, nor does it profess to, smoothen the progress of detection of all flaws, problems, or occurrences that might exist in any given property.
To take full advantage of time and to make sure all of the key sections of the property area unit are taken into thought, Eagle Property Inspections has succeeded in developing a systematic approach to the review.
This can be a simplified summary of systems that we have a tendency to, as skilled property inspectors, use after we area unit inspecting a home.
This is a basic overview of systems that we, as professional property inspectors, use when we are inspecting a home.
To help you out in following the system, we have provided a checklist that will direct you through your own inspection.
The first step in the property inspecting checklist is to examine is to note down or check out the big picture for the property. Observe the area where the home is located.
To the home you are inspecting, Are there other homes of similar age and construction details relative to it?
A comparison will give you a broad idea of the upkeep of the home. Have there been major modifications to the exterior of the building and if so, how is the workmanship?
The next step of the property inspection checklist is that check the exterior face of the house and get a complete view of the house by working your way around the house (clockwise or counter-clockwise) at a certain distance.
On each face (front, sides, and rear) start your illustrative inspection at the top of the structure and move around to the ground and lot area.
For instance, you would start at the front and note down the roof and chimneys, the gutters, fascia, and soffits.
Moving onto the exterior wall coverings (wood, brick, aluminum), doors, noting windows, and so on.
Study any porches or decks down to the foundation, then the grade or slope of the lot area, following any coverings, such as flower beds, walkways, interlocking brick, driveways, etc.
Move around and go closer, to check out the house more closely and also any details which may have attracted your interest, without skipping any items.
Having finished the front, move to the side of the house and start the same procedure (roof to ground).
On the interior, start your inspection in the basement and then go after the system throughout each floor in the house.
The system for checking the interior is, to begin with, the floor, go to the walls and then the ceiling, and then consider any appliances or other items in the room.
Move-in a similar direction from room to room always, (clockwise or counter-clockwise) so as to not miss any areas. If you see a door, open it and check what’s inside!
In the utility room in the basement, first, observe the floor, the walls (possibly the foundation walls are visible here), then the ceiling (floor joists may be visible), then go and check the furnace, hot water heater, electrical panel, plumbing system, etc.
When inspecting the floors, walls, and ceilings, examine the entire area that is visible, not just one section.
In a finished room, you would detect the floors, walls (including windows), and ceiling.
Subsequently lookout for the heat sources, fireplaces, electrical outlets, and switches, closets, etc.
In the bathroom or kitchen, observe the floor, walls, and ceiling, then the plumbing fixtures.
Always check the system first whether it’s at the exterior or the interior or it’s one of the mechanical systems while doing an inspection.
For instance, if you were examining a wall on the interior of the home you would first observe that the wall is plaster, and then examine the wall for cracks and irregularities.
The following are some usual problems or occurrences to look for in the foremost components and systems of the home.
1 – ROOF
Is the ridge (peak) indicating a sag, or is it straight and level?
Is the roof sagging in the middle of the rafters or trusses?
Can you observe any corrosion of asphalt shingles, like curl, wrecked edges, wasping, rounded corners, or keyholes (slits) becoming wider than normal?
Any loose flashing’s, at the chimney, roof-to-wall connection, or somewhere else?
Does the wooden roof deck show rotten or delaminate under the last row of shingles?
Are there any roof vents visible?
2 – CHIMNEYS
Is the masonry cap splintered or broken?
Are any bricks flaking or misplaced? Mortar not there?
Is the chimney leaning?
3 – SOFFIT’S AND FASCIA
Note down whether or not the soffit and fascia are wood, aluminum, or plastic.
Any loose or missing sections?
If wood, are there any paint problems? Any clearly visible rot?
4 – GUTTERS AND DOWNSPOUTS
Make sure gutters slope down toward downspouts.
Any rust or peeling paint?
Evident leaks or loose/sagging sections?
Are the downspouts widening away from the foundations?
5 – WALL COVERINGS
lookout for missing mortar.
Are the bricks flaking or cracking?
Look out for loose, missing, or rotten siding; deteriorated paint.
Does the siding appear new? Does it hide the foundation wall?
Exterior walls bowed, bulged, or leaning?
6 – WINDOWS AND DOORS
Look out for problems with paint or caulking, and rotted wood components.
Are the windows new or older? Are they the original windows? How old are they?
7 – PORCHES AND DECKS
Cracking or flaking masonry?
Look out for paint problems, rotted wood, and wood-earth contact.
Note down any settlement or separation from the house.
Examine the underside, if accessible.
8 – FOUNDATIONS
Look for cracks, flaking, or damaged masonry.
Note down any water markings and efflorescence (whitish, chalky substance)
Any bowing, bulging, or other irregularities?
Soft mortar?
9 – LOT AREA
Does the grade slope away from the house?
Any settled/low areas near the foundation, or cracked walks/driveway?
Is the home lower than the street or neighboring properties?
10 – BASEMENT
Note Down any proof of water penetration (stains, mildew/odors, efflorescence, loose-fitting tiles, etc.).
11 – FLOORS
Look for deteriorated coverings or cracked ceramics.
Any water staining or other damage?
Sloping or sagging?
12 – WALLS
Randomly test to check that the windows and doors work.
Are the walls straight vertically and horizontally?
Check for cracked or loose plaster.
Check for stains, physical damage, or previous repair evidence.
Any drywall seams or nails showing?
13 – CEILINGS
Ensure about the cracks in the plaster or loose, sagging plaster.
Check for stains, mechanical damage, or evidence of the previous repair.
Seams or nails showing?
14 – BATHROOMS AND KITCHENS
Check that all fixtures are secured.
Are there any cracks or holes in the fixtures?
Note down the condition of the tiles and caulking in the tub/shower area.
Are the faucets functioning? Do they leak? Plenty of water pressure?
Observe any staining and rot under the countertops.
Randomly test the operation of the cabinet doors and drawers.
15 – ELECTRO-MECHANICAL CONSIDERATIONS
The Type, style, and age of heating & cooling systems. When was the time they last inspected or serviced?
Type of water supply piping and drains – any noticeable rust and corrosion?
Size and the age of electrical service – are the outlets grounded? Is the Visible wiring in good condition? Have there been any upgrades?
If you are looking to buy a new home, then you definitely need to know everything about the house you want to buy. The interiors, the paint, the heating system, the roof, the air condition, etc.
All these need to be checked and made sure it is in perfect working condition. So today, we will understand different types of home inspection checklist in Texas for new buyers.
This will help you to assess the actual value of the home you are buying before signing the contract.
A generally licensed home inspector goes through around 1600 points home inspection checklist and inspect your new home and share their concerns with you.
That is when you will come to know if you need to call these additional home inspectors to come in and take a closer look while conducting a home inspection in Texas.
Some older homes may or may not have flues or liners inside the chimney. So having a certified chimney inspector come in and investigate can save you a lot of hassles down the road and potentially prevent a fire inside your house.
A general home inspector will make a note of this if they have any concerns while going through a home inspection in Texas.
While conducting a home inspection in Texas, your general home inspector would have noted the logical panel on the outside of the house. It might be too old, and they might indicate you saying that the electrical panel is very old and does not look to code.
In such a case you might want to have an electrician take a look and investigate further and let you know what the best possible solutions are.
The best way to understand is to ask the electrician what kind of breakers are in there, google that part and see how long they usually last.
Search the part for the best price online or at a local electrical store and ensure all the necessary parts are in the electrical panel.
Homes built before 1978 might need this type of home inspection in Texas. Your general inspector would let you know any concerns about the presence of lead-based paint. You should have also received a lead-based paint disclosure if the house was built before 1978.
The federal government outlawed the use of lead-based paint in 1978, that is why if the house is built after 1978, it should not be an issue for you.
If it was built prior, then you do reserve the right to have a lead-based paint inspection done and hire a contractor to come in and remove it. This is one of the critical home inspection checklists that you need to be aware of.
HVAC stands for Heating Ventilation, and Air Conditioning systems or some people simply call it our climate control.
While conducting a home inspection, the general inspector will do what is called a temperature differential on the unit to make sure it has an adequate supply of heating and air conditioning coming out within acceptable norms in your area.
If there is any concern with the unit, they will share that with you, and it might be time to contact an HVAC technician to come in for a closer look at the same.
With termites running around the country as they tend to do, they like to eat wood. But there are different types of species of termites that might be in your area or not.
There are types of termites that like to eat rotting decaying wood, and there are other types that like to eat healthy wood.
Contact a pest control specialist if that is the concern raised by the general inspector while conducting the home inspection and have a pest inspection done.
If this is of concern to your general inspector while going through the home inspection, they would have raised the alarm with some foundation cracks they have found.
A structural or foundation inspector will be able to go and let you know if there is any problem with the foundation or the structure of the property or if it is sliding off its foundation.
If you are concerned about the roof is a little old and wondering about wear out and replacing the roof. You might want to have what is called a ‘roof certification’ done. Some sellers may be willing to pay for this during the closing process.
If not, you might want to consider paying it yourself so that you have peace of mind moving forward.
When selecting a roof inspector, please make sure they are not in the roof replacement business themselves; otherwise, they might try to entice you to replace or patch the roof.
Make sure the roof inspector is always honest and ethical with you during the roof inspection and certification process.
A plumber will be able to let you know if the pipe in this house is galvanized and if it should be replaced. Sometimes galvanized pipes could be so clogged that you can’t even put a number two pencil through the pipeline.
This obviously is going to restrict a lot of your water flow into your home, reducing your water pressure and potentially have some contamination inside your water.
Specifically, when we talk about gases and chemicals in a home, we are talking about radon levels, methane levels, and Formaldehyde levels.
If your general home inspector raises the alarm here, you might want to have the gases tested in your house to alleviate the toxins.
Now that we have learned different types of home inspections in Texas, and what a home inspector looks for during a home inspection, and how long things are going to last in your new home, depending on the general inspector’s notifications.
You can determine which kind of inspection is essential for your home. Knowing about the home inspection checklist when buying a home could help you to choose the right home for your future.