Do It Yourself Home Inspection

As exemplified by the success of Home Depot, we are a do it yourself nation when it comes to our homes. So, should you pursue a do it yourself home inspection when buying a home?

Do It Yourself Home Inspection

Having a home inspection done when buying a new home is always a tricky matter. The fact is that you never know if you are being told the truth by the seller. Frankly, you should assume you are not since you are committing to a purchase worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal debt. Given this large amount of money, I personally believe you should use a professional home inspection service to scour the home for any problems. Nonetheless, I realize many prefer to do it themselves, particularly if they have construction experience.

If you do have some knowledge about what to look for in a home, it can still be beneficial to do some research on things to look for. You can purchase home inspection checklists at your local hardware store on online at your favorite bookstore. The checklists are lengthy, often covering 20 pages or more so we will not be covering them here. Regardless, you should be aware of these top ten home defects so you can pay special attention the relevant areas:

1. Roofing defects
2. Ceiling Stains
3. Water Intrusion
4. Electrical Safety Hazards
5. Rotting Wood Near Plumbing or Outside Home
6. Building Violations (such as on home additions)
7. Unsafe Fireplace and/or Chimney Conditions
8. Faulty Installation of Water Heaters
9. Hazardous Conditions Involving Gas Heaters
10. Firewall Violations in Garage

Generally speaking, I hope you will hire a professional home inspector to look at your potential dream home. They know what to look for and are well worth their fee. You are committing to a major amount of debt to buy that dream home. You do not want it to turn into a nightmare the first time it rains.

A do it yourself home inspection will save you money up front, but could cost you in the end.

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