Tips About House Inspection

Owning a new home is quite a task. Countless brainstorming sessions, negotiations as well as disagreements may occur between couples from house search to house viewing to reserving a unit and ultimately inspecting if the unit adheres to house plan and delivered in excellent condition. Below are some specific tips about house inspection which is particularly important for first time homeowners.

EXTERIORS

Walls

Cracks, unevenness, or holes are symptoms of a house with a not quite sound foundation or worse, an insect or rodent infestation. If you’re noise-conscious, examine wall thickness as they indicate how solid the house is built. This applies especially for condos and apartments, where the common walls give a clue on their soundproofing capacity.

Roof

Admittedly, checking the roof for damage is not that easy, which precisely why it’s crucial not to overlook it as it can be easily missed from ground level. When inspecting a house, be sure to ask help for a roof inspection. Bring a camera and a ladder if you have to. If it’s a pre-owned home, ask the broker or previous owners it had leak problems due to poor roof installation, weathering, or other damage.

Elevation

Flooding is a common problem in our tropical climate. Make sure the home you’re eyeing to buy is elevated enough or located in a flood-free area. Check the Department of Science and Technology’s Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment Hazard) to see if your potential home location is in danger of flooding or in a flood-free area in the city.

Locks/Gates

Security and safety are big factors to keep in mind during home inspection. If you’re inspecting a house, be sure it has a gate and door locks that are hard to break into. With condos, lobbies with concierge, tight security, and CCTV cameras are preferable. Invest in and install a private home security system if you need to.

Featured Video:

INTERIORS

Indoor wiring can get pretty complicated. Be sure you have a professional electrician to help you out.

Electrical

Avoid the dangers of electrocution, electric shock or burn, and fire hazards due to faulty wiring, defective outlets, and poor circuitry design. Have a professional electrician test out outlets and identify electrical hazards.

Plumbing

Because the plumbing system is mostly unseen, plumbing problems can be like ghosts; you won’t notice them until something unpleasant or downright scary happens. Common issues to check are pipe leaks, clogged drains, and unnatural water pressure. A damaged plumbing system can turn the mundane task of flushing the toilet into a nightmare.

Flooring

Your new home flooring should be solid and durable. Inspect if the flooring sags, makes a lot of unnatural squeaky noises, or has uneven parts which can cause accidents. Flooring jobs can be hugely expensive, time-consuming, and of course, inconvenient.

Ventilation

Unless you want to live in an inferno or smell like your home-cooked meals, you’d also want to check the house ventilation system. A kitchen and dining area with windows or dedicated vents can defuse the buildup of gas, smoke, chemical contaminants, and prevent mold or bacterial growth that may cause health or comfort problems. In terms of energy efficiency, a house with good airflow distribution can reduce your Meralco bill.

Ideally, home inspection is a systematic and comprehensive examination of its features to identify and prevent hazards. Its findings can greatly help you determine if you’ll want to push through with the sale or not. In short, they can make or break a deal. You might have to do it more than once and it can get expensive if you’re consulting professionals. However, a thorough home inspection that saves you a lot of future horrors is well worth an investment.

SOURCE: Zipmatch.com