What Do Home Inspectors Check?
Let’s say you are entering into a contract to buy a house or maybe thinking of selling your home. You know a home inspection is a part of the process, but you’re not certain what they actually look at and check in a home. Licensed and certified home inspectors have specific structural points and systems that they check in a home to give the buyer an accurate estimate of its condition. The following points are some of the major items that they will be taking a look at.
Basement and Crawl Spaces
Moisture is one big point that the inspector will check for in the basement. If you plan to sell your home and there’s a mildew smell in your basement, this is a sign of a moisture problem that you want to handle before placing it on the market. Ensure that drainage spouts are pointed away from your home and that gutters are kept clean, so water flows through them instead of over the sides of the gutter and then down the side of the house into the foundation.
Checking the Plumbing
Because of the damage caused by water, the plumbing is definitely examined by any home inspector. Beyond signs of leakage, the inspector will also check that there’s sufficient pressure by running many faucets and flushing toilets at the same time. They might also check the septic system. If you are selling your home and know you have plumbing problems, either get them fixed before listing your home or expect to have, some money knocked off the asking price because this type of issue is not something an inspector will miss.
Mold and Mildew Is a Bad Sign
While the sight of mold can be scary for some home buyers because of stories about toxic mold, this form is rare enough that the biggest fear of mold and mildew is that they are signs of moisture in a home. An inspector will check the walls, floors, basement, crawl spaces, and other areas for mold or mildew. Once found, they will attempt to determine where the problem is regarding where the moisture is coming from. Home sellers want to find and handle any mold situation in their home before listing it since buyers might demand expensive mold remediation if their inspector finds it.
Is Your Electrical System up to the Job?
Right before an inspection, all home sellers should know to ensure that any electrical panel or circuit breaker boxes are accessible since this is one critical system that is checked without fail. They’ll be checking the electrical outlets in the home and any circuit breakers contained within some outlets.
The Roof and Chimney
A bad roof can produce untold problems for a homeowner. The biggest problem is, of course, the fact that moisture can get in the home every time it rains if there are missing shingles and other damage to the roof. Missing shingles are pretty easily spotted even by amateur homebuyers who don’t know the first thing about inspections. If this situation is allowed to go on too long, the wood and other materials underneath the shingles can become rotted and require repairs. The inspector will check that the chimney’s bricks and mortar are in good shape and that the flashing around its base is watertight.
Professional Home Inspection in Pennsylvania
S.P.T. Home Services LLC is a home inspection company based in Yardley, Pennsylvania that conducts certified, licensed, and insured inspections of homes in Bucks County, Montgomery County, Berks County, Chester County, Delaware County, and the city of Philadelphia. Our inspectors check all of the structural elements and systems mentioned above and so many more such as the heating and cooling systems, the home’s foundation, and the appliances that will be staying with the home. Please contact us for a professional home inspection, and we’ll provide you with a simple, concise yet detailed report of all of our findings, so you’ll be armed with the information you need when negotiating with a seller.
