Home Inspections

Are you in the market for a new home? After months of searching you have finally found your dream home. It may not be a brand new house, but it has everything that you have always wanted in a home. But it should not be a simple matter to just pay for it and then move in. You will have to think of the home inspection checklist which a qualified building inspector will go through.

Why is a home inspection important? First of all, it is for your own benefit to have the house go through a building inspection. Especially if you are going to live there with your own family, you certainly would want it to be the safest home that you can buy for them.

Building inspectors usually have previously worked as an engineer, architect, electrician, carpenter, and any other profession related to the building industry. Aside from their certification, these ensure that they are qualified to offer their home inspection services.

While in every city or suburb there are a long list of home inspection services, you should first approach your real estate broker if he can recommend a reliable building inspector. All brokers know at least one inspector since they are always working in the real estate industry.

Here is a short home inspection checklist. Go over it so you can at least have an idea on what to expect once the residential building inspector arrives.

1. Structure of the house.

The inspector will check all the walls, the columns, the foundation, the ceilings, and more to see if all are in good condition. He will note any crack or weakness that he will see.

2. Electrical

Does the electrical wiring of the house comply with the regulations of the government? Are all the power connections in good working condition? The building inspector will ensure that all are fine and will not cause any short circuiting or be a fire hazard.

3. Plumbing

He will look into the pipe materials used by the builder or if there are any modifications made. A sewage inspection may or may not be included in the home inspection checklist.

4. Pests

Pests are major health hazards and most building inspectors will also conduct a pest inspection and should they find any, they would recommend the appropriate pest control service for it.

5. Fire safety inspection

A building inspector will check if there any violations with the fire safety code of the city. While this is often the responsibility of the fire department, most home inspectors will include this in their checklist. They would recommend placement of fire extinguishers where these are necessary and other fire precaution equipment and standards.

There are more items included in any home inspection checklist but those listed above are some of the basic or most common. Since buying a home is very important to you and your family, you must make sure that you are getting a qualified building inspector to help you decide if the house is a good buy or if it is time to start looking again.