Real Estate Community Forum

I realize hiring a professional inspector is necessary when purchasing a home, but before I even show an interest in the property I need to do a self inspection of the property by myself. I don't want to be carried away by the appearance of the home and neglect the much needed repairs that often come with a house. Can anyone recommend what I should be looking at when inspecting the home? Should I care if there are cracks on the ceiling or a flood line in the basement? What do you think?

Walking into a home that is for sale and doing a self inspection is important. If you are serious about the possibility of purchasing a home, you need to look and ask the home owner certain questions such as has there ever been water in the basement? Are there any leaks in the roof? How old is the roof? Has the septic tank or sewer line required any maintenance? Ask for copies of the heating, electric, and water bill. Has an exterminator been hired for the property? Look for cracks in the basement and near any windows. How old is the furnace? Are the windows single pane or double pane? These are all questions that could lead to expensive repairs. In general all homes need regular maintenance, but you need to make an informed decision knowing the possibility of future repairs that may need to be done on the property.

So many times I have had people walk through a home I’ve been selling and the only comments are “what a nice light fixture.” Other inane comments are just as irritating. My homes have always been efficient, easy to use and in top repair. All of my utility bills are just signposts to me for any new windows or doors or added appliances. When I show people the bills, I feel like it was worth the effort when they actually read them. I keep a photo diary of all gardening, too. I know where all the irrigation pipes are. Since I built my home this time, I can even show where the main sewer line is, and how the house is hooked up to it. Most people won’t have that kind of record, but it sure doesn’t hurt to ask.

Appliances should be investigated, too. If the manuals don’t have an Energy Star sticker attached, I’d be questioning that. Faucets and toilets should be low water users, and showers should have very good controls by well-known manufacturers.

The siding and insulation are two areas you can inspect. Will a screwdriver push easily into the siding near the foundation or at the corners? Is there caulking around the window and door trim? When you stick your head in the attic, can you see paper or is there additional open insulation stacked on top? The most expensive things you will have to handle are definitely the foundation and roof, and any basement. If those aren’t looking really solid, don’t bother your home inspector. No matter how cute the bathroom is, no matter how much storage there is in the dining room, that house is going to be a money pit if those aren’t in good shape.

I agree with everything you said Micah. It sounds like you know a lot about houses and what to look for when buying a home. Many people, including myself are drawn in the house because of the big yard, large closet space, or kitchen cabinets. They often over look the important features of the home that are the most expensive to replace and repair, such as the roof and the electrical.

I think the real estate agent has something to do with this. They always focus on the superficial things so you quickly fall in love with the house and overlook any of its flaws. This is one of the reasons why I don't like real estate agents. Their entire agenda is to make a sale. They could care less to inform you that the basement has a foundation problem. Instead, they'll just brush it off and offer a quick solution to the problem just so you buy the house. They never have your best interest.

Having had some bad experiences, at some point use a professional inspector,(mold ugh!), but if you want to do a walk through here is a checklist from a home inspector's website. http://accurateinspections.com/newhomei ... cklist.htm. Hopefully that will give you an idea of what they are looking for and you can start your search yourself.

-Gale