A DIY Home Inspection Checklist

A DIY home inspection

If you own your home or are buying a home, here’s what’s required for a DIY home inspection. If the house is yours, this will help you know what to correct and could save you a lot of money in the future. And if you’re buying a home, this could help you spot situations that could be a problem.

What you need for a DIY home inspection.

• Print this checklist
• gloves and binoculars
• You will need a flashlight, flat head and Phillips screwdrivers.

Start on the side and check these locations

• Check your roof shingles – Use binoculars to check shingles for ripples or other signs of wear.
• Look at the gutters to see if they are clogged. Clogged gutters will cause water damage elsewhere in the house.
• Check the gaps around doors and windows. The uneven gap could be due to poor installation or base shifting and may require an expert.
• Cracked caulking around doors and windows could be letting moisture into the house.
• Peeling paint on the siding can be caused by water getting behind it and causing it to peel off.
• Too many plants and shrubs crowded around your home will cause mold to grow on the siding and give bugs a path into your home.
• Is groundwater flowing towards your house or away from it? Check the grade around the entire house.

Inside the house

• Go to the attic and look at the structure to see if someone notched the joists to make more headroom. Trusses are designed to function as originally designed and should not be modified.
• Look for water damage around chimneys, plumbing ducts, vents, and skylights. You will be able to see discoloration and stains if water entered the attic.
• Look at the insulation and see if it is thick enough and still fluffy and if there is ventilation from the soffit area and a ridge vent.
• Are pull down ladders insulated?
• Are the toilets wobbly? If they do, they will need new wax rings and there could be water damage to the floor.
• The dryer is properly vented and not in an enclosed part of the house, attic, or basement.
• Test the GFI receptacles in the bathroom and kitchen to make sure they work.
• Check under all sinks for leaking pipes and drains.
• Check interior doors to see if they close properly and if the house has not moved.
• Are there stains on the ceilings from water damage?
• If there is tile, check the grout, if it is missing in a wet spot, you will have water damage behind the tile.
• Give the stair railings a good tug. You don’t want them to surprise you later when you need them.

In the basement

• Use your screwdriver to push on the joists to see if they are in good shape, especially if you notice that the floors are sagging.
• Are the floor joists full of incorrectly placed holes? Here are some general rules: There are no holes or notches in the top or bottom flanges of an I-joist. Large holes might be fine in the center, but not at the ends of the frame. Drilled holes must be at least 2 in. from the top or bottom and not more than one-third the depth of an I-joist. Notches in a conventional wood joist must not exceed one-sixth the depth or penetrate the center third of the joist span.
• Look for termite tubes, these will look like pencil-thin tubes that snake along the joists and could cause problems. Call an exterminator to see if there is a problem.
• If the water heater is noisy it may soon be time to replace it, see if it has a date on it and if it is over 5 years old it may or may not give it another couple of years.
• Check the pipes in the basement and look for signs of leaks.
• Look at the wiring and there should be no splice in sight. All splices will be in a box if done correctly. Any questionable electrical work should be checked out by an electrician.
• Check the base for hairline cracks. Cracks in a poured concrete block or foundation are not a cause for panic. Watch for cracks that are both horizontal and vertical, call a professional if you have them.

Don’t be afraid to get an expert opinion if needed, it could benefit you in the future.