Life is good. You’ve found the perfect home for your family. The house is straight out of your dreams, the neighbors are friendly, and the schools have a stellar reputation. Your financing is in order and you’ve got plenty of cash for the down payment. All you’ve got to do is sign on the dotted line, right?
Not so fast. A home inspection could reveal surprises that shatter your excitement. Of course, home inspections are a necessary and beneficial step in the home buying and selling process. Here are a few areas of a home to take a good look at before getting your hopes up, seven of the most common problems revealed during a routine inspection.
Electrical
You’d be surprised at how shoddy a beautiful home’s electrical work can be. Older buildings may have outdated wiring that needs to be replaced. Some electrical issues can even be a fire hazard, so while a house’s electricity could end up being a letdown, it’s very important to have a thorough inspection performed.
Heating and Cooling
Furnaces and air conditioning systems need to be closely inspected, because even if they seem to be working properly, they could be on their very last legs. The good part about replacing the heating and cooling in a home is that you can end up saving money in the long run through higher energy efficiency.
Plumbing
A leaky pipe might seem like a minor flaw. But add up all the small leaks in a home, and you could be looking at a lot of damage over time. Replacing old, rusty pipes with modern plumbing can get pretty costly over an entire house.
Drainage
Erosion is a powerful force. Water falling from the roof might appear harmful, even beautiful, in the moment. But allowing water to collect in the wrong places can lead to huge issues like ice dams on your roof or a flood in the basement.
Windows and Doors
Windows and doors are the gateway to a home, and without them we’d probably all go insane with cabin fever. When they’re not working properly, however, they tend to let unwanted elements in. Fortunately, many problems can be fixed with some caulk.
Structural
This could be the big kahuna of a bad home inspection. While there are wide ranges of structural issues that call for a repair, a sinking foundation is easily the most expensive and heartbreaking.
Roof
There’s a reason why homebuyers love seeing a new roof—they know they won’t need to live through loud noises in the ceiling and a hefty bill from a contractor anytime soon. If you’re selling a home, we suggest making the roof look as good as possible.
If you’re in need of a home inspection in the Warren, New Jersey area, give Cornerstone Home Inspections a call today.