To continue where I left off last week, with the Do it Yourself Home Inspection, I feel it is necessary to state that this is nothing more than a preliminary sweep of the potential home.
You should never substitute yourself in place of a professional home inspector. This is because you are already biased as to wanting to purchase the home. A home inspector is an unbiased third party that will give you the truth to the faults in the home as he is paid to do so.
Let us now move onto the last part of the home inspection, the house itself.
1. The Attic
Examine the attic and be on the lookout for any leaks, which would occur during a downpour. You should be searching around chimneys, plumbing stacks, vents and skylights. You have to be on for water stains on the underside of sheathing.
Your attic can possibly be the home to rodents, such as racoons. They would create pathways and it would be visible if you have a rodent problem.
2. Unstable Toilet
A toilet that wobbles can break the wax ring at its base. This will lead to major water damage that you might have had to pay if you did not inspect your potential home.
3. Water Stains
Having brown stains generally means you have a leaking pipe or shower pan. In worse cases you have a yellow-brown stain which includes an odour; this indicates you might have squirrels or other critters living in the attic above.
4. Doors and Windows Sticking
Jamming from the doors and windows can indicate whole house shifting. You should look above doors and windows to indicate any structural problems.
5. Foundation Cracks
Having cracks that are both horizontal and vertical, or ones that are growing in your basement is something to watch out for. If they get any bigger than you saw initially, call a professional to repair it.
By examining these locations in your house, you can possible avoid hundreds of dollars in repair costs. Remember that this is only a preliminary inspection, before you call a professional home inspection.
Do it Yourself Home Inspection Part 1
Glen Chapman
Broker of Record with Club “100″ GMAC Real Estate
www.club100realestate.com
