Thursday, February 19, 2015

Home Inspection Information And Tips

By Olivia Cross


Carrying out a house assessment is one of the most important things that you can perform before purchasing a residence. You need to be totally assured that the property is in good repair and that you are not purchasing something that will require thousands of dollars to repair months after the acquisition. As such, it is important to know what is included in a home inspection.

Before any assessment can start, the assessor needs to have a number of things. He will need to have a checklist, a torch and a clipboard to hold his notes. These are the absolute must have items for an assessment.

The best way to go about any assessment is to start from outside, and head inside. For the exteriors, you will mainly be focusing on the state of the gutters and the roof. The roof needs to have all its shingles in place. As for the gutters, you must make sure that the down sprouts are directed away from the walls.

When done with the roof, check the chimney. You have to check through its entire length. Confirm that all bricks are in place, and that no mortar is missing. The chimney should also be straight from top to bottom.

Spend some time assessing the sidings. The sidings are not that complicated to inspect. All that the assessor needs to do is ensure that the sidings do not have any bulges or bowing signs. Where these are present, it will mean that something is not right somewhere.

Each house must have its foundation checked. The foundation is the part that supports any house. It therefore needs to be in good repair. Signs that things are not alright will include flaking, shifting in some sections and even the emergence of cracks along the entire length of the foundation.

An interior assessment needs to be inclusive. No single area should be left out. Therefore, you can start by focusing on the doors and windows. Check to ensure that all windows have screen guards on them. For the doors, they need to have locks and handles that work.

Inspect the floors ensuring to pay special attention to any signs of cracks or wear and tear in the carpet. In some cases, you will find that sloping is caused by normal settling with a house. However, it can also be caused by the presence of serious problems within the foundation.

The ceiling must also be assessed. When assessing the ceiling, the main thing to check for will be presence of any stains. Stains in a ceiling are as a result of leaking in the roof. If this is present, you need to be very careful.

The interior assessment should be completed in the kitchen area. This is where you get to inspect all cabinets, check out the finishing and also ensure that all appliances are actually working. It may also be essential to inspect below the sinks for any leaking signs that could be present.




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