DIY Home Inspection Checklist – Everything You Need to Know

Whether you’re moving to a new city or having a growing family, selling a home might feel challenging and overwhelming. There will be a lot of prep work that goes into the process, and you’d don’t want to overlook the home inspection as it could have a significant impact on the home’s value. 

Spending even a small amount can result in significant improvements that will help with your home’s sale. If you intend to inspect your home before you put it on the market, there are some key areas to focus on. It pays to do thorough work as a professional to identify potential issues and if you don’t want to sell your home at a loss.

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Plumbing

In most instances, plumbing will be associated with the bathroom, but it affects the entire house. The DIY house inspection should be focused on the entire plumbing system. The basement and bathroom areas will have plumbing structures that will need to be inspected. Some of the critical issues to look for include:

• Rusty and leaky pipes
• Code violations
• Clogged drains
• Improper water flow
• Sediments forming at the bottom of the water heater

It can be hard to detect code violations because most pipes are behind walls in most cases. If there is separate piping from the main, there is a high chance that there could be code violations. You might want to have that fixed before you can list the home for sale.

Electrical

You don’t necessarily need to be an electrician to know there is an electrical issue in your home. In case there is an issue, it’s highly recommended that you’re getting an experienced technician to fix the problem. There are also electrical issues that might not be that obvious if you’re not a certified electrician. This is where it gets complicated for DIY home inspections. If you’re operating on a shoe-string budget, here are some of the issues that you can self-inspect:

• Unlabeled breaker switches
• Painted outlets
• Switches or outlets not working
• Exposed live wires

Replacing bulbs is easy and inexpensive, and there is no reason to call an electrician. If you’ve lived in the home for a long time, you’re likely to know the major electrical problems and repair history.

Doors

Having operational doors isn’t enough. You need to make sure that they’re in good working condition. There are things that can be difficult to notice about the door in your home. It could be a loose knob or sticks to the frame. Some common problems to check out include:

• Signs of wood decay
• Sticking to the frame when opening or closing the door
• Missing or cracked glass
• Bowling frames
• Lack of sufficient weather stripping

There are some repairs like installing weather-stripping that are easy to fix, while others will require a professional. You must be honest with yourself about the capabilities and technical expertise.

Attic and Crawl Spaces

The majority of homeowners will use such spaces for storage and will not be an issue until it becomes apparent. They should not be skipped during the inspection as such issues could have developed over time. Mold and algae growth can be discovered if there are moisture issues in the home.

Ceilings and Walls

The walls and ceilings will be the first to give when there is a structural problem with the home. While there are some problems, such small cracks might not be a big issue; it’s important to double-check. The main issues to be looking for include:

• Sagging ceilings
• Visible stains
• Leaning walls

It’s recommended to fix such problems as soon as they happen instead of waiting until they get out of hand. You also need to inspect the home’s exterior for any visible structural damages. 

Roof

The roof is considered the most important structure in a home. Professional roof inspections will scrutinize the roofing structure’s condition as no buyer will want to spend on a new roof immediately after purchasing. There are roof inspections that can be done from the ground, while others will require going up a ladder.

To conclude, DIY inspections can suffice if your home is not in a poor state. There could be underlying problems for old houses that can only be uncovered with an experienced professional. There is peace of mind that the inspection will be done up to code, and potential problems that could interfere with the sale of the home can be discovered and dealt with on time.