Information for Buyers

What Your Home Inspection Should Cover

• 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, 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, drywall that is pulling away
  
  
• Porch/Deck: Loose railings or step, rot
  
  
• Electrical: Look for condition of fuse box/circuit breakers, 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 house, speed of recovery, energy rating
  
  
• Furnace/Air Conditioning: Look for age, 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 door mechanism
  
  
• Basement: Look for water leakage, 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