How to Self-Inspect Your Potential Home

Home inspection is a multi-dimensional concept for warranting the buyer’s confidence in the actual condition of the house. The more prepared and knowledgeable a buyer is, the smarter he can be in making important decisions about a house he wants to buy! Although it is widely believed that a professional should be considered for such things, you should always do your research and inspection before going for that option. This way you can rest assured that there aren’t any major issues and what measures are needed to be taken if there are any minor ones. And even when it is impossible to list everything you should check for while inspecting your potential home yourself, here is how to Self-Inspect Your Potential Home.

Here are the Key Points on How to Self-Inspect Your Potential Home:-

1. Start with the Basement: Walls, ceiling, and floor.

The basement is the foundation of the house and it’s very important for a house to have a strong and well-functioning one if it has any. Also, a basement provides easy access to maintenance and protection for electric lines, ductwork, and plumbing thus making it vulnerable to water damage, molding, and other shortcomings. You should thoroughly check for cracks to see if they are non-structural and ensure that the cracks are not there due to settling, shrinkage, or poor construction which can weaken the base of the building. The conditions of walls, ceiling, and drainage in the basement are equally important. Make sure that there is no sign of water leakage or molds around the basement walls. It is critical that your home has a sturdy basement that will provide your house protection from storms, earthquakes, or other hazards.

2. Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning

HVAC is the technology of indoor and vehicular environmental management and helps in maintaining good air quality and thermal comfort. Although a licensed HVAC technician is globally preferred for this, you can also do a thorough test yourself with the given checklist. Try to test run all HVAC technology like central conditioning system, heating system, radiators, etc. in a house. Listen to the sounds produced, and observe how long they take to give results, test voltage, check electrical components such as electrical panels, light switches, and power outlets, for failures and run a thermostat test. Be as detail-oriented as you can while doing HVAC testing as it will help you save both TIME and MONEY.

3. Plumbing and Drainage System.

Check the water supply system first while doing a plumbing inspection. Inspect the water meter’s accuracy to avoid sinkholes and exacerbated leaks. Be thorough with piping of faucets, pressure valves, the flush system of the toilet, and outdoor water systems if any. The bathrooms in the property must abide by the local plumbing laws, and be used without any problems to the new homeowner. In a bathroom, you should look at floor tiles, shower, taps, and seals around the bath, walls, toilet pans, basins, and ventilation. Also, it is very essential to ensure smooth wastewater transitions from pipeline to sewage systems. Improper water supply or drainage systems can lead to a lot of issues like flooding, building collapse, and other problems due to unhygienic conditions. The drains and the sewage system in a house should be properly checked as they link to the family’s health and hygiene in the long run.

4. Condition of the kitchen and other appliances.

The kitchen is one of the most important parts of the house to its inmates. You spend a lot of your time in the kitchen, hence, it is also a place most prone to dangers with respect to electrical problems, wiring issues, and other hazards. The electrical outlets and wiring here need heavier gauge wiring as compared to other parts of the house as anything otherwise can be life-threatening. In addition to health hazards, it is very costly to get the repairs done in the kitchen, so you should be very conscious in order to avoid such expenses. Apart from this, appliances in a house like gas or electric stovetops, exhaust fans, kitchen sink, etc. also impact the ‘sell-ability’ of the house.

5. Roof Inspection.

You can develop a better understanding of roofing by checking both interior and exterior roofing. To check the interior roof, check the attic for proper ventilation, insulation, moisture, smell, and even mold. Even if you decide to use professional help in this regard, do your research to create a certain level of advanced information. The exterior inspection of the roof includes checking everything up on the roof for leaks, proper flashing, the condition of shingles, if any, and the chimney. A leakage in the roof walls or floor might spread throughout the house due to gravity, hence, it is extremely important that there are no leaks there. Leaks give way to mold that grows through your walls like wildfire and is very difficult to eliminate completely. Exposure to this fungus can cause several health issues including nasal stuffiness, throat irritation, or sensitivity and people are often allergic to mold. If there is mold on your roof left untreated, it will weaken your roof creating a feeble structure and demanding costly repairs.

Conclusion

When it comes to buying (or selling) a home, the most crucial step is a thorough home inspection; early detection and elimination of damages will be beneficial for your purse. Moreover, you could save a lot of money by walking through how to self-inspect your potential home before hiring an inspector to check the property. A thorough self-inspection of a property could be an indicator of a good investment. It will help you from making a wrong decision and putting in unwanted expenses. But of course, if the house deems to match all your expectations, it will boost your confidence and will further solidify your decision to buy the house. It is imperative that you analyze every detail of the place and do not get carried away by the fancy show, after all, it might be your potential home.