Home Inspection Checklist -- Know Your Home Inside and Out
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(ARA) - More than 43 million Americans are expected to buy, sell or relocate their homes each year, and a professional home inspection is a major step on the path to purchasing that home.
A thorough inspection can identify problems or damage to the property prior to closing, allowing the buyer the opportunity to request that the owner make repairs, to renegotiate the selling price, or in some situations, to decline purchase of the home.
The first thing you need to do is hire an experienced, licensed home inspector to carefully inspect the home you have selected. The following list of items that should be carefully checked out can be found on a new Web site launched by The Home Depot, www.homedepotmoving.com:
* Appliances
Range cooktop
Oven
Refrigerator/freezer
Dishwasher
Compactor
Disposal
Washer/dryer
* Kitchen
Cabinets
Drawers
Countertops
Floor
Electric outlets
Lighting
* Bath(s)
Sink
Tub
Shower
Toilet(s)
Faucets
Floor
Tiled walls
Shower door
Medicine cabinet
Lighting
Ventilation
Window(s)
* Walls & Ceilings
Nail pops
Seams
Wallpaper
Water stains
Cracks
Settlement
Decay
Trim
Window locks
Interior doors
* Floors
Hardwood
Carpet
Vinyl
Tile
Surface finish
Condition
* Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning
Central HVAC system
Age, condition
Adequacy
Operating efficiency
Thermostats (#)
Individual room controls
Service history, vendor
Window air conditioners
* Electrical Systems
System adequacy
Outlets by room
Light switches
Door bells
Exhaust fan(s)
Exterior lighting
Intercom
* Home Exterior
Roof
Siding
Windows
Exterior shutters
Exterior doors
Steps, stairs
Railings
Porches
Deck(s)
Walks
Underground sprinkler
Lawn condition
Shrubs, trees
Drainage
Driveway
Garage door
Fireplace/chimney
* Plumbing
Water heater
Water pressure
Well/city water source
Septic/sewer
Septic system service
Septic system adequacy
Courtesy of ARA Content
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