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There could be times when your mortgage lender, homebuyer or agent requires from you a special type of home inspection. Your area could have been plagued by a disaster in the past or your area is prone to a certain condition, highlighting the need to ensure that your home is free from certain home defects.

Among the areas most commonly addressed by special home inspections are the following:

1. Roof

The life of roofs varies from about 25 to 50 years, depending on the type of environment it has been subjected to and on the type of material used, such as concrete tile, clay roof tile, shingle, slate, wood shake, metal, composite or tar and gravel.
The inspector should evaluate the surface, sides and lines of the roof. He should note conditions that lead to leakage problems and possible violations of roofing regulations.

2. Structure

The home inspector determines whether the structure of the home could withstand earthquakes. The inspector ensures that load bearing walls, shear walls, frames, foundations and roofs have been properly built and installed. He looks for cracks and misalignments that could indicate signs of weakness in structure.

3. Termites and Other House Pests

Infestation signs that the inspector should look for are mud tubes on the walls and wooden parts of the house, winged insects coming out of wooden parts and the presence of dark blisters in wooden floors. Some construction mistakes that attract termites are incorrect drainage, contact between the ground and wooden parts of the house, wooden debris in concrete parts and form boards left in the flooring.

4. Plumbing

Galvanized steel piping commonly corrodes within ten years. The inspector should check for leakage in the piping system and in the valves.

5. Electrical Wiring

Home inspectors should look for wiring installations that do not conform to electrical wiring regulations.

All the items above should be included in your home inspection checklist when buying or selling a home.

Home Inspection Checklist

Experts agree that a seller should conduct a home inspection before putting his property on the market to expedite the sale and set a realistic price on the house.

Home buyers, especially those who are planning to purchase a foreclosed home, always perform a new home inspection before closing the deal.

Whether you are the seller or the buyer, it is advisable that you hire a home inspector from reputable home inspection companies.

However, a seller can also perform his own inspection to aid the inspector which he plans to hire later. A home inspection checklist is needed to ensure that no areas or hot spots were left out during your do-it-yourself inspection.

• Look for molds and mildew. Chances are houses with molds and mildew will not interest any buyer. Whatever kind of mold it is, be it the normal variety or not, the source should be eliminated immediately.
• Mildew odors and molds indicate that there is too much moisture in the basement. And moisture attracts insects and hastens the deterioration of building materials.
• To help control the spread of moisture in the basement, cover exposed earth and small spaces with a plastic.
• Check for possible water leaks due to poor drainage system. Clean the gutters so as not to hinder the flow of rainwater towards the downspouts.
• Rotted or moist roof coverings or shingles means that you will need to have them repaired before the first real estate agent or buyer tours the property.
• Ensure that water cannot seep through the flashing around the chimney’s base.
• If you can, fix leaks and other plumbing problems.
• Make sure that the circuit breaker and electrical panel configuration are adequate for the requirement of the house.

Now, despite doing everything to get your home in a good condition, a home inspector still saw some defects and damages and noted them on his home inspection report. Do not be encouraged if this will happen because it only means that you have hired an efficient home inspector.

Home Inspection Checklist

You will know if you are talking with a skillful and credible home inspector if he is able to describe to you all the defects he is going to check in the home you are interested in. This is why you also need to know the major common defects in a home to enable you to ask the right questions.

Nowadays, most home inspectors use home inspection software, and most probably all home defects are covered by the software. But equipping yourself with knowledge about home defects will help you in your decision-making when choosing the right home inspector.

The five most common major home defects are the following:

1. Roof Leaks

These leaks are most common in older houses, but they can also be found in newer homes due to the use of inferior roofing materials or to improper roofing installation. Some of these problems can be repaired; some need replacement. Ask your home inspector the methods he uses in checking roof leaks if it is not raining on home inspection day.

2. Water Seepage

This problem is caused by defective underground structures such as drainage systems, unexpected developments in groundwater conditions or faulty exterior ground grading.
Know the precise cause of water seepage because groundwater drains are costly to design and install.

3. Electrical Hazards

These problems include outlets without grounding, defective electrical wiring in some sections of the house and absence of ground fault circuit interrupters. Most often, the faulty electrical installations or wiring were additions done by inexperienced homeowners or unqualified electricians.

4. Water Heater Problems

Inspection services have found that most water heaters are in violation of plumbing regulations. Some of these violations are use of inferior gas piping, incorrect installation of overflow piping and weak pipe strapping.

5. Gas Heater Problems

Most often, gas companies are delayed in implementing regular inspection of their installations. Some of the most common problems found during home inspection are non-compliance with fire safety regulations, damage to the firebox and carbon monoxide leaks.

Home Inspection Checklist

Knowledge in home inspection has become an important and invaluable field that every homebuyer should have. This is true in light of strict regulations on both state and national level. A buyer does not need to have a home inspection training to conduct a final inspection.
The following guidelines will help homebuyers in understanding the process, [...]

Home Inspection Checklist