You have scheduled your inspection – what should you expect? The inspection covers hundreds of items and all the major systems of the home….
On the day of your inspection I will be there at the appointed time and will spend the first twenty to thirty minutes walking around the outside of the house, taking some general pictures and getting a feel for the “lay of the land”. During the inspection I start at the top and work my way down, so beginning with the roof and drainage system I check flashings, caulking and of course shingles! Since water penetration can create many expensive problems in a house and I spend a large portion of the inspection looking at those areas where water may be introduced to the interior of the home. I check the lot drainage, landscaping and retaining walls as well as exterior wall coverings and any penetrations to the exterior. Once on the inside, I start in the attic checking for insulation and ventilation before moving to the livable areas of the house. All the accessible windows, outlets, electrical fixtures, plumbing fixtures, doors and cabinets are tested over the course of the inspection. In the kitchen I verify outlets are GFCI protected and the appliances (if applicable) are functional. I open the electric panel, check the branch wiring and overall condition of the system. The HVAC system will be examined and its operation verified. The water heater, supply and drain lines are checked and their condition is noted in the report. The structure is critical to the condition of the home. Exposed walls in basements and crawl spaces are examined for cracks and moisture penetration. If the crawlspace is not accessible, I send my Crawlbot in to take videos which I examine as I am writing the report. At the end of the day, I have covered the house from top to bottom.-