Home Inspections

If you're going to sell your home, you probably know that any potential buyer is likely to require a professional home inspector to inspect your home to identify any potential problems within your home. This can be a difficult time as most homes do have problems that have developed over time. Let's take a look at some of the most frequently found problems that home inspectors typically find. You might be able to fix many of these problems before a home inspection is done.

1. Plumbing

Plumbing is the #1 problem that home inspectors find in a home. Take a look around your home for any exposed pipe and check for any type of water leak. It's easy to do. Check out every faucet for leaks, especially the water connection to your washing machine... this is frequently a problem.

A special note here: If your home was built between 1978 - 1995, check to see if your plumbing is using polybutylene pipe. Polybutylene pipe was widely used during this time period because it was inexpensive. It's gray in color and looks like plastic. If you do have polybutylene pipe, it's a major red flag on any home inspection report because this type of pipe deteriorates and fails.

2. Electrical

The second most frequently found problems by home inspectors are electrical. Home inspectors will find a lot of electrical outlets that are loose or just don't work. New owners will want these repaired.

In addition, home inspectors will point out if key electrical outlets, such as those in the kitchen, are GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) circuits. These are a type of electrical outlet that will shut down if there is a sudden surge in electrical current. In new construction, these are often required in certain rooms of the house such as bathrooms, kitchen, and any outdoor sockets.

Improperly wired breaker boxes is another frequent problem. Sometimes the breakers being used are the wrong size or they just won't fit properly. This is a big concern in older homes that have not been updated.

3. Heating

Most homeowners believe that they only need to change the filters to their heating system every few months. Potential buyers may want to see if annual maintenance has been maintained on the heating system. Any leaks in the piping or within the unit could result in dangerous gas leaks or carbon monoxide poisoning. This is a critical inspection point for home inspectors.

4. Roof

Problems on the roof or within the attic often show up on home inspection reports. On average, it costs more than $1500 per year to heat and cool a house. Not having enough insulation in the attic is often a problem that leads to higher energy costs. Insulation requirements vary by geographic region, so the easiest thing to do is go online and search for insulation calculators for your region.

On your roof, torn and cracked shingles are a major problem that is often found. But also, home inspectors often find flashing that has not been properly installed, allowing water to seep into the house. Inspect and correct these problems before a professional home inspection is done.

5. Drainage

Home inspectors often find problems with drainage. They often find the grading around your home does not carry the water away properly during periods of heavy rain. The water will "pool" around the foundation and often seep in. If you have water spots on the interior wall of your basement, this is often a critical problem that needs to be corrected.

Home inspectors also say that they find many gutter systems that don't carry water far enough from the house. That means, it might "pool" up against your home's foundation allowing the water to seep in. This is why the gutters were originally installed, so make sure the gutters are not stopping a few feet short.

Getting your house ready to sell involves more than just giving the house a cleaning. Check the things out that's listed above and you will head-off a lot of surprises that could come up when you're trying to close the deal. And, don't forget, when you're ready for a professional home inspection, find one that has had many years of experience and recommendations to go with that experience.