Fuller Home Inspection       

When you are looking at a home that you may be considering for purchase there are a few things to consider that impact your decisions. Many times these decisions are based upon the financial impact to the bottom line. The high priced items that I am referring to can be the heating and air conditioning (HVAC) age or condition, the age of the water heater, or the age of the roof. Here are a few tips that can help you along the way towards getting the right home for your desires.

The Roof: Look up at the roof covering. If you see missing shingles or the edges of the shingles cupping or curling then you will know that you are near the end of the useful life of the roof covering.

The Exterior: Walk around the outside of the home looking for the lot grading that may be sloped towards the foundation of the home. Make sure down spouts are routed away from the foundation. Check for brick cracks. While many brick cracks are common in nature some are indications of foundation failure or high stress from wind or impact. Check for damaged vinyl siding, rotted wood trim or siding, or dents in aluminum siding.

Camera or cell phone: Take photographs of the serial numbers of the HVAC, water heater, dishwasher, range, manufactured fireplaces, and other large appliances. You can use this information to check the age of the appliance and if there are any product recalls associated with them.

Ceilings and walls and floors: When looking around the inside of the home you should check for water stains on ceilings and walls to help determine if there are or were water leaks from roofing or plumbing.  Check the floors for any sloping.  This can help determine if you just have an older home or if there is the potential for structural concerns.

Windows: The normal life of a window is about 20 years. Pull back the curtains and check the windows for fogging or condensation. This is a sign that the double pane window seals have failed. If you have wood windows look to see if the storm windows are still installed. Also check the condition of the glazing for cracks or pieces falling out.

Cell Phone Apps: Use cell phone apps like “The Handy Man” to help you estimate the costs of repairs or upgrades that you may be considering.

These tips may save you the cost of repeated home inspections and are easily recognizable after looking at only a few homes.
Keep in mind that all homes will have issues that are identified by your home inspector. No home is perfect. Now that you know this about your prospective home you are prepared to read a report that scares many people. A home inspection report is a negative document. You are paying good money to find out all of the things about the home that are deficient. The majority of those items that you will be reading about are normal home owner maintenance items.
Be sure that your home inspector takes the time to explain to you the difference between major repairs and normal maintenance items.