A DIY Home Inspection :: for a Bank-Owned Property

House Health

A short checklist prepared for Jeff B. (Lanham, MD)
– 9.08

Overview:
With the housing market as it is, some us may have opportunity and/or desire to take a look at a house that is on the market as a foreclosure. Unfortunately these kinds of sales are often “as is” sales and do not allow much time for a proper home inspection.

Note:
While this list in no way replaces a home inspection from a licensed professional, it does present a couple of things to look for from a guy that has bought and sold a couple of houses and who has done work on all of them.

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Tools:
1. Digital camera, 2. Good flashlight (w/ fresh batteries), 3. Flat head and Phillips head screw drivers 4. Mold testing sticks (available at Home Depot for few bucks).

Note to Jeff B.: This assumes that you have seen the house, and are happy with its (potential) make-up: Number of bedrooms, number of baths and the condition all; etc. This also assumes house has public water and sewage.

For lots of reasons, make sure that the main house water and power supplies are on or can be turned on!

– Basement:

Start in the basement.
For the most bang for your buck, find the mechanical room.

Locate furnace/boiler, hot water heater, etc. Labels on most tell when an appliance was manufactured or installed (part of the serial numbers sometimes). Check on the inside of covers, in breaker box, etc for as much information as possible.

– Try to the note, if you can, the type of plumbing supply lines. If it has (smaller tubing) copper, plastic good – silver galvanized steel or iron bad (will eventually need to be replaced and not to be confused with galvanized (most times black) gas lines).

– Try to note, if you can, type of electrical wiring – This probably won’t be an issue considering age of the house. But you want to see modern Romex

wiring (term misleading for number of reasons, but don’t worry about that here).

– Look up. Try to locate some exposed floor joints near outside walls. Inspect for noticeable termite damage. If you see signs of termite treatment, that is good. (Anyway, even if you don’t see damage – or if you do not have any reason to believe there is a problem, still might be a good idea to budget in the near future for a professional treatment $800 to $1200.)

– If you can see the foundation, do a visual inspection. Try to note type. Long vertical cracks can be bad especially if you see anything that would indicate water penetration (discoloring, mold, dirt, soil, clay, etc.) Foundation cracks may not be the end of the world, but look for areas where the material has shifted out of plane (could indicate a structural issue).

– In general, look for signs of water damage/penetration, etc. – signs listed above. Is there a sump pump, does it work? If yes, this is good.

Roof:

Try to head to the top floor and look up at the underside of the roof.
Are there any signs of water damage? Moisture, discoloration, etc?

Interior:

– Check a couple of the plumbing fixtures, under sinks, etc. Are there signs of bad pressure, leaks or anything like that? Rusty or dirty water may not be the end of the world – especially if the house isn’t occupied.

– Do any of the floors show signs of significant deflection? Dips bigger than an inch?

– Does Heat and Air Condition work?

– Are there any extremely large cracks in walls?

– Check a couple of windows and a couple of doors to make sure they open and shut and lock, etc.

Use your common sense. Note anything unusual.

Outside:

– Quick visual inspection of the roof, siding, and the trim around it -
You can tell a lot from looking at the roof from the ground. Missing shingles, aluminum/vinyl siding and trim – sure signs of water entry.

– If there is an air conditioning compressor – check its sticker.

– Check the grade around the house. You want fall away from the house and the first floor separated from the earth. These are good things for many reasons.

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Good Luck. Checking these things out can help you prepare for a lot of things.

Check back with me at BuildingMoxie.com if you have further questions or pictures to provide.