Home Inspections Checklist
Why Follow Our Home Inspection Checklist?
Finding the perfect home in Columbus, Ohio takes time, patience, and effort. Once you find your dream home, it’s hard not to want to immediately move in, but it’s important to schedule home inspections before you make your final commitment. Some buyers or sellers may be encouraging you to skip your home inspection and just sign the contract, but this can expose your family to dangerous liabilities that could threaten you and your perfect home. Following our home inspection checklist is the perfect way to ensure a sound investment in your Central Ohio home.
Why is a Home Inspection Important?
The property you hope to buy might look well maintained on the outside, but no matter how many spacious rooms or green lawns and gardens you discover, there is still the potential for dangerous home damages hiding underneath the surface. You need to make sure that a home inspector with professional expertise inspects your home prior to purchase to identify and protect against any potential habitability issues.
Home inspections not only help put your mind at rest, but they also help you avoid the financial strain of costly electrical, plumbing, heating, air, and structural problems, all of which are not easily identified by someone with no experience in home inspections. With an inspection report tailored towards your Columbus, Ohiohome, you can communicate openly with the seller about any needed repairs and protect both yourself and your family in your real estate deal.
The cost of any home inspection is minimal in comparison with the damages you could endure from unnoted repairs or even health conditions that arise as a result of unidentified habitability issues in your home.
What To Do With Your Home Inspection Checklist?
Can I perform home inspections myself?
Only licensed home inspectors can perform a home inspection in Central Ohio. However, you can get involved with the inspection process by learning more about the property you wish to purchase and follow along with this simple, easy to follow home inspections checklist that will help you prepare for Home & Commercial Inspections visits to your property.
The following checklist will help you confirm every area of your home is safe and secure as well as following along next your inspector. Their report will reflect the pros and cons of your dream house, and staying informed about what they find will help you confirm whether or not you’re ready to move forward with your dream home after their inspection. The following are the most important areas to include in your Central Ohio home inspection:
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Let's Look at the Home Inspections Checklist
✅ Roof
Inspect both the inside ceilings of the home as well as the outer roof, paying attention to any obviously soggy areas. Water often seeps into homes and causes extensive damage largely due to roof leaks. You may also want to ask about the age of the roof as well. If the roof is metal, then double check that there is no rust or bend gathering in the material, as well as inspecting for moss or dark spots. You can confirm the age of the roof from the residential property disclosure or listing details.
✅ Basement Foundation Walls
Observe the inside and outside foundation walls of the house to confirm that there aren’t any cracks. Sometimes foundation settlement or movement can be hard to spot, but it needs to be thoroughly checked and inspected by an expert. Your basement should also be checked for dampness, and any crawlspaces investigated for water leaks as well as the effectiveness of your home’s insulation.
✅ Exterior
Examine the exterior paint job and keep an eye out for weathered paint. Weathered paint can cause wood rot. Old homes with weathered paint applied prior to 1978 could lead to lead based paint having been used, creating an additional safety hazard for occupants.
✅ Drainage
A core concern of many buyers when purchasing a home is the water drainage. Your inspector will help review any and all water drainage, ensuring that you have a positive grade drainage system on the exterior of your property. Your inspector will make sure you have clear and free-flowing gutters as well.
✅ Doors & Windows
Inspect all the doors and windows of your property carefully. While checking windows, keep an eye out for broken glass, wood rot in frames, peeling paint, and so on. Are the windows able to be easily closed, opened, and locked? That’s important as well. You should also check the same for your doors. Are there any cracks or damaged bottoms? Check for air leaks as well: weatherstripping can increase your heating costs if your doors don’t properly seal when closed.
✅ Interior
Is there any mold or peeling paint in your home? Can you spot water stains? Are there any cracks in the drywall or other structural issues?
✅ Odor
Do you notice any odors in the home? Aside from not wanting to live in a home with pungent or unpleasant odors, bad smells can be indicative of larger issues such as drainage or rot that should be identified, addressed, and avoided ASAP.
✅ Bathrooms
Does your bathroom have an exhaust fan to help remove moisture from collecting in the bathroom? Does the fan properly vent to the exterior of your home? Your inspector will also check sinks, counters, tiled floors, bathtubs, and faucets for any other leaks or surface defects.
✅ Structure
Your inspector will review the attic of your property as well while performing their inspection. The interior roof structure is important and must be examined to ensure there is no leakage or cracks. Poor ventilation and insulation can cause many other problems as well.
✅ Plumbing
Check the plumbing supply lines, faucet, and drain line for leaks in your home as well. Review the water heater for any leaks. Examine the tanks, pipes and fittings so that you don’t deal with undiscovered water issues alter on. You may also wish to check the plumbing under the sink of the kitchen and bathroom. Does the sump pump work? Does it pipe to the exterior properly?
✅ Home Appliances
Furnished homes often come with built in appliances such as stoves, dishwashers, and refrigerators. These are not explicitly part of the inspection process and may or may not be included in the purchasing contract. If you are buying a house with available appliances, you may wish to ask your inspector to include them in their review. You can also easily spot the age and condition of such appliances, so make sure to take a close look during your inspection.
✅ Wiring - Electrical Outlets
Frayed wires and loose connections are often responsible for several electrical wiring issues in your home. Malfunctioning GFCI’s, overheating receptacles, or other outlets with pins in the slots will be identified as issues during the home inspection so you know exactly what you’re getting into. You can also look at whether the outlets have been grounded or not. Detail whether changes or updates are required and check if there’s room for electrical remodeling if needed.
✅ Heating and Cooling
Buyers often strive to secure homes that have reduced heating and cooling cost over time. Your inspector should also test the sequence of operation for heating and cooling equipment. Your inspector can determine the age of your equipment from the nomenclature plates and check the units for rust or damage as well as verify the condition of air filters.
You Have Your Checklist, So Now What?
A comprehensive examination covers both minor and major concerns. Incorporating these matters into the conclusive home inspections checklist in Columbus, Ohio aids in comprehending the home's present state. Should the inspector uncover substantial issues during the assessment, it might be prudent to contemplate an in-depth, specialized inspection before finalizing the property transaction. Also, consult your realtor to review the residential property disclosure for any disparities between that and the inspection findings. This collaborative approach assists in accurately gauging the home's genuine condition as part of the home inspections checklist in Columbus, Ohio.
Why hire a professional home inspector?
Although you may feel confident in your purchase, the decision of purchasing the best home for you and your family is an important one that requires all of your time and attention. Hiring a professional home inspector ensures that you have a safe and healthy home. Without a professional inspection report, negotiating with the seller regarding repairs is much harder. A professional inspector can also provide a neutral and honest perspective, one that can see through any blind spots and help you truthfully evaluate your home.
Our team at Home & Commercial Inspections LLC are all highly experienced and certified home inspectors in Columbus, Ohio and the Central Ohio area. Sit back and relax while our skilled team completes your inspections in just a few hours and helps you get one step closer to finding the home of your dreams.
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