What Your Home Inspection Should Cover

by Rachel Lipszyc

May 11, 2023

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  • Siding: Look for dents or buckling
  • Foundations: Look for cracks or water seepage
  • Exterior Brick: Look for cracked bricks or mortar pulling away from bricks
  • Insulation: Look for condition, adequate rating for climate
  • Doors and Windows: Look for loose or tight fits, the condition of locks, condition of
    weatherstripping
  • Roof: Look for age, conditions of flashing, pooling water, buckled shingles, or loose
    gutters and downspouts
  • Ceilings, walls, and moldings: Look for loose pieces and drywall that is pulling away
  • Porch/Deck: Loose railings or step, rot
  • Electrical: Look for the condition of fuse box/circuit breakers, the number of outlets in each
    room
  • Plumbing: Look for poor water pressure, banging pipes, rust spots, or corrosion that
    indicate leaks, sufficient insulation
  • Water Heater: Look for age, size adequate for the house, speed of recovery, energy rating
  • Furnace/Air Conditioning: Look for age, and energy rating; Furnaces are rated by annual fuel
    utilization efficiency; the higher the rating, the lower your fuel costs. However, other
    factors such as payback period and other operating costs, such as electricity to operate
    motors.
  • Garage: Look for exterior in good repair; condition of floor—cracks, stains, etc.;
    condition of the door mechanism
  • Basement: Look for water leakage, a musty smell
  • Attic: Look for adequate ventilation, water leaks from roof
  • Septic Tanks (if applicable): Adequate absorption field capacity for the percolation rate in
    your area and the size of your family
  • Driveways/Sidewalks: Look for cracks, heaving pavement, crumbling near edges, stains