Thursday, 16 October 2014

Conducting Your Own Home Inspection

By Patty Goff


Having decided that you like a house, it will be a good idea to have it inspected. The home inspection can either be performed by you or by a professional. All you will need is a list of items on what to look for and where to look for it. This should then make the entire exercise quite simple.

Assessments are not as complicated as many people think. It all comes down to being able to look at what is exactly in front of you. Pay attention to the condition of areas such as the flooring.

For instance, a floor that emits a particular odor could mean that something is terribly wrong with it. It may for instance have absorbed too much dirty water which could be causing the smell. Note down your findings before moving to the next category.

The easiest area to check will be the ceiling and the roofing area. All you have to do is check up when you are moving across the hallways. Take a keen look on anything that appears to be a water stain appearing on the ceiling.

You will therefore need to leave the house and head outside. While outside, leave some distance between you and the house. This is to make it easier to check all the way to the roof to examine whether there are shingles that are out of place.

A professional inspection will often include a thorough check of the crawl space if there is one. This is because some houses are built on a slab foundation meaning that there is no available crawl space. If it does happen to be present, look at the boards and check for mold.

It will also be essential to check the condition of the wiring system. For this, all you have to do is turn the lights on and off. In case there are some problems, make sure you call in a professional to avoid being electrocuted.

As you head back inside, start checking the wiring systems. What you do is turn all the lights on and off. If the bulb does not light up when the switch is, note this information down. The same will also have to be done for any wires found hanging along the walls.

Wiring tends to be a complicated case as you can never really know what you are dealing with until a professional assessment has been performed. Where the case is severe, the client may end up spending tons of money on having the system rectified. Therefore, make sure you call in the electrician to perform the assessment for you.

The final decision should be made after going through your notes. In case the problems are found to be too many and complicated, it may not be worth it to purchase the residence. However, if they are not too many, do not be afraid to invest in the residence.




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