Harrison
March 2nd, 2008, 4:30 pm
If you are in the market to buy a house (and we all know there are a lot of them out there for sale), you will likely hire a home inspector. However, in the event that you decide not to for whatever reason, you are some important things to look for. They are important to look for even if you have HAD a paid home inspection.
1. Brown stains on the ceiling. A possible indication of a past or current leak. Water travels. Don't assume that the source of the leak is coming directly above the *****. Water could be leaking in from the roof.
2. Warped wooden floorboards, peeling floor tiles or cracked floor tiles. Warped floorboards point to water damage. If floor tile is peeling, it could have been soaked underneath, expanded, and destroyed the glue holding them in place. Cracked ceramic tiles might point to water damage as well.
3. Mildew smell in the basement. A sign that water regularly seeps into the basement.
4. Brown stains on the basement walls. Another sign of past or current water damage.
5. Chipped paint around the windows. Wood sills could be damaged and will need to be replaced.
6. Failed caulk around window edges. At best, an air leak. At worst, a water leak.
7. Three layers of roof. If there are three layers of roofing, you may have to pull them all off when it's time to re-do the roof, which is an added expense.
8. Wet drain in the basement. If the house is on a sewer system, it could mean that tree roots have burrowed their way into the sewer.
9. Only one area has been painted. If only one wall in the basement has been painted, the owner may be trying to hide previous flooding from you.
10. Furniture, boxes and other items piled up in one room or in one corner of the house. Maybe they are just preparing to move or maybe they are hiding something. Make sure you move everything so you can see everything.
11. Bad smells. If a house smells foul to you, it could have a serious mold problem behind those freshly painted walls. Removing mold can cost thousands of dollars. Removing pet odors is less expensive, but it can take a long time to refresh a house, depending on the issue.
12. Cracks in the foundation. If the foundation or basement floor has a crack wider than 1/8 inch, it could be a structural problem that will be expensive to fix.
1. Brown stains on the ceiling. A possible indication of a past or current leak. Water travels. Don't assume that the source of the leak is coming directly above the *****. Water could be leaking in from the roof.
2. Warped wooden floorboards, peeling floor tiles or cracked floor tiles. Warped floorboards point to water damage. If floor tile is peeling, it could have been soaked underneath, expanded, and destroyed the glue holding them in place. Cracked ceramic tiles might point to water damage as well.
3. Mildew smell in the basement. A sign that water regularly seeps into the basement.
4. Brown stains on the basement walls. Another sign of past or current water damage.
5. Chipped paint around the windows. Wood sills could be damaged and will need to be replaced.
6. Failed caulk around window edges. At best, an air leak. At worst, a water leak.
7. Three layers of roof. If there are three layers of roofing, you may have to pull them all off when it's time to re-do the roof, which is an added expense.
8. Wet drain in the basement. If the house is on a sewer system, it could mean that tree roots have burrowed their way into the sewer.
9. Only one area has been painted. If only one wall in the basement has been painted, the owner may be trying to hide previous flooding from you.
10. Furniture, boxes and other items piled up in one room or in one corner of the house. Maybe they are just preparing to move or maybe they are hiding something. Make sure you move everything so you can see everything.
11. Bad smells. If a house smells foul to you, it could have a serious mold problem behind those freshly painted walls. Removing mold can cost thousands of dollars. Removing pet odors is less expensive, but it can take a long time to refresh a house, depending on the issue.
12. Cracks in the foundation. If the foundation or basement floor has a crack wider than 1/8 inch, it could be a structural problem that will be expensive to fix.