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The number of homes getting bought in Ohio is on the rise! That’s excellent news for both buyers and sellers. This 3.5 percent increase shows that housing is a “solid, long-term investment,” according to Ohio REALTORS president Anjanette Frye.

One crucial part of buying or selling?

The home inspection process. In fact, it could make or break any deal you’re about to make.

Why?

Because home inspectors can reveal problems that untrained eyes simply can’t see. These problems are crucial to the integrity of your home — the foundation, the plumbing, the electricity.

This house inspection checklist will show you other essential areas that get checked during routine inspections. You can let your inspector do their thing alone, or you can follow along and make sure everything gets checked off!

Let’s get started.

A Thorough House Inspection Checklist

To be clear, a home inspection covers most areas of the home, but it doesn’t check everything. Furthermore, a home inspector doesn’t do things like, say, go into your walls to check your electricity. So although they give a significant diagnosis, some specialties require a different type of agent.

Home inspectors do examine the essential spaces of a home that affect your everyday life: the HVAC system, the windows and doors, the roof, and so on.

So here are some areas you can expect will be on their house inspection checklist. We’ve compiled lists from all the major inspection certifiers and made it easy-to-browse here.

The Roof

The roof will absolutely be on the inspector’s list.

From a safe place, they’ll observe the condition of its shingles or roof coverings. Are they warped, molded, fallen, present at all? Are there any obvious cracks or damage? 

They’ll also observe the gutters and downspouts. These are crucial to check for the foundation of your home. Old or damaged gutters could not only destroy your roof, but excess water could destroy the foundation the home sits on.

The Exterior

This is exactly what it sounds like. The inspector will scrutinize the entirety of the home’s exterior, checking things like the siding or whatever covers the walls. The same questions as above will apply to the exterior — is its condition up to standards?

They’ll inspect things like the walkway to the front door, the driveway, the structure of the porch, if applicable. They’ll also check on the quality of the paint or stucco — things that may be cosmetic or could be detrimental to the home’s quality.

And of course, the structure and foundation will get scrutinized greatly for any signs of problems big or small.

The Interior

This comprises of everything within the home — the state of the walls, the floors, any stairways, the ceiling. The results of this section will be immediately clear upon the inspection. If there’s anything unsightly — mold, mildew, water damage, termite damage — this will get revealed right away.

If you’re the home seller, you can prevent these things from presenting themselves by fixing or cleaning the problem beforehand. If you’re the home buyer, you can use any problems to help you negotiate a much better real estate deal. 

The Windows and Doors

The inspector will get a good idea of the condition of some of the windows and doors when checking the exterior. But there’s a whole list dedicated to checking these on their own.

Is everything in working order? Everything closes, opens, locks, and unlocks as it should? The inspector will check these things for both windows and doors.

Much like everything else, they’ll be checking for imperfections such as cracks, lack of caulking, and the like.

The Plumbing

Plumbing is arguably one of the more important areas for an inspector to check. Serious plumbing problems are cause for concern. They’re costly to fix and very damaging to your home.

Common plumbing problems found in home inspections are things like:

  • Water heater issues
  • Leaks inside the walls
  • Outdated, broken, or rusty pipes
  • Sewer line clogs

A home inspector can spot some of these problems by performing routine checks.

They’ll test the toilets, examine the fuel and water supply, check the water heater. They’ll also check all those other spots with plumbing — the kitchen and bathroom sink, the bathtubs and showers.

An inspector will also look at the visible pipes under the sinks to ensure they are damage-free, rust-free, and without cracks or obvious issues.

The Electrical

Like plumbing, electrical wiring is a huge part of the inspection process. And also like plumbing, an inspector will check all visible wires for damage, breaks, exposure, shoddy wires, and the like.

An inspector will also check the service conductors, the outlets and light switches, the light fixtures and smoke detectors. They should be able to identify the type of wiring (important for any repairs or replacements) and its condition.

The Attic and/or Basement

If your home has an attic, basement, crawlspace, and any other areas with insulation, these are sure to get checked during the process.

  • Is there any torn or missing insulation?
  • Was any insulation installed improperly?
  • Are there any unwanted guests, such as rats or termites?
  • Is there any water or structural damage?

It’s important to check the insulation for a variety of reasons, but the most important being its contribution to your energy bill. If the insulation in the attic wasn’t installed correctly, it could cause issues with heating and cooling the home, resulting in higher bills.

Home Sweet Home Inspection

This house inspection checklist should give you a great idea of what to expect on the day of your appointment. Whether you’re buying or selling, the process is the same — and always crucial. 

To ensure your satisfaction, run through the list with your inspector. They’ll be happy to explain further, offer resources and advice, and answer any questions you may have.

We want you to get the inspection you deserve, so we compiled another helpful guide for you. Click here to see what to look for when hiring an inspector in beautiful Ohio!