A Checklist for Your Own Home Inspection

As you walk through a house for sale that attracted you, you should already be doing your own home inspection. This way, you will save on professional home inspection costs. Hiring a licensed home inspector very early in the process of finding a home is costly, as you usually expect to take a look at several homes.

Here is a checklist that would help you inspect the house together with the homeowner and the broker. Keep in mind that this checklist is not for professional use. The checklist used by licensed home inspectors is complete, more detailed and more technical. This will just help you give attention to certain things in the house and will help you see potential problems.

As you go through the checklist, write the words Very Good, Fair, Poor, Yes or No beside the items to save you time. You might also want to have your own marks. Write any defect that you see. Some of them could be stains, rust, cracks or moisture.

1. Kitchen

• Appliances
• Cabinets
• Floor

2. Bathroom

• Fixtures
• Floor
• Toilets

3. Plumbing

• Water Heater
• Faucets
• Pipes
• Sinks
• Tub drainage

4. Electrical connections

• Circuit breaker
• Room outlets
• Main service cable
• Exterior outlets

5. Heating and Air Conditioning

• Furnace
• Vent pipe
• Air conditioning unit

6. Windows and Doors

• Window operation
• Door operation
• Locks
• Glass insulation
• Shades

7. Basement

• Wall Cracks
• Seepage
• Floor
• Staircase

8. Fireplace

• Appearance
• Operation

9. Roof

• Appearance
• Flashings

10. Attic

• Access
• Insulation
• Wood condition
• Ventilation
• Water leaks
• Storage Space

11. Exteriors

• Patio
• Sidewalk
• Driveway
• Topography
• Drainage
• Landscaping
• Fence
• Gutter
• Downspout
• Sidings
• Swimming pool

When the homeowner and the broker see that you are serious with your home inspection checklist, they will be prompted to be more upfront with you. They will not make lots of small talk to divert you from the things you need to see.