Home Inspections - What Do Home Inspectors Look For?

It is important to have a home inspection carried out before closing a deal on a new home, even if it is not required by your mortgage provider. Home Inspectors are trained to uncover problems that are not immediately apparent to the untrained eye. They can save you a lot of grief later, if expensive problems come to light. It is a false economy not to have a home inspection done.

A home inspector will look over the exterior of the house for any defects that might influence your decision to buy.

These will include structural conditions, the foundations, the roof - inspection might involve complete access to the roof or just an inspection from a ladder - windows and doors, as well as the drive and walkways, and drainage. 

Inside, the home inspection will take in any structural damage - such as from subsidence or water leakage - through to observation of walls, ceilings and doors. The attic will also be accessed to check for insulation and ventilation.

Any basement or crawl space will be inspected, and wall foundations checked for any movement or weakness, as well as the ingress of water.

The electrical system and wiring will be examined and checked for grounding, quality of materials used and suitability of the various components. Also to identify any shorting in the system.

With home inspections, plumbing also gets checked over. The type and functioning of pipe work, the toilets and drains, water flow and pressure.

Air conditioning and heating systems will be assessed for functionality and safety, and to determine whether warm and cool air gets properly distributed throughout the building. Checks will be made for the presence of carbon monoxide, and advice given on any appropriate energy conservation improvements that could be made.

Evidence of termites or other wood damaging insects needs to be checked, and is often a required check by mortgage providers.

The role of home inspectors is to identify any problems within a property that could compromise the structure and detail of the building, or which could raise safety issues. These may not be known to the current owner of a property, but should be known by any prospective buyer to avoid problems at a later stage.