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About this List

This list was published by ZingLists Staff and last updated on Apr 29, 2008.

Tags: house

Things to Look for During a Home Inspection

From the author:

When you are buying a house, a home inspector should catch all of the big problems. However, there are many other little annoyances you might want to know about before you sign that purchase contract.

Item
Water pressure

This is probably the most important thing. If a house has low water pressure, there isn't much you can do to fix it. Almost everything else can be fixed given time and money, but the pressure you get from the water main is what it is.

Close every door

Does the door catch work and does it stay closed?

Open doors to see if they stay open

If a door isn't hung properly, it may have a tendency to fall closed.

Open the windows

Do they open smoothly? Are the latches easy to use?

Raise and lower any window blinds
Look at the casing around doors next to walls to see if doors are hung straight
Look for enough electrical outlets and telephone and cable TV connections in every room
Take a sample of the tap water and test it for hardness

Sears will test water for free. Hard water can leave stains in dishes and sinks, and requires more soap to clean things.

Turn on the air conditioner and central heating and check a register for air temperature

The air conditioner should be pushing cool or cold air. A gas furnace will push warm air, but a heat pump may not.