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What Your Connecticut Home Inspection Should Cover

 

Did you find the perfect home? If so, after your offer is accepted you will want to have the home inspected. The following is a list of important areas your home inspection should address:

1. Siding : Look for dents or buckling
2. Foundations : Look for cracks or water seepage
3. Exterior Brick : Look for cracked bricks or mortar pulling away from bricks
4. Insulation : Look for condition, adequate rating for climate (the higher the R value, the more effective the insulation is)
5. Doors and Windows : Look for loose or tight fits, condition of locks, condition of weatherstripping
6. Roof : Look for age, conditions of flashing, pooling water, buckled shingles, or loose gutters and downspouts
7. Ceilings, walls, and moldings : Look for loose pieces, dry wall that is pulling away.
8. Porch/Deck : Loose railings or step, rot
9. Electrical : Look for condition of fuse box/circuit breakers, number of outlets in each room
10. Plumbing : Look for poor water pressure, banging pipes, rust spots or corrosion that indicate leaks, sufficient insulation
11. Water Heater : Look for age, size adequate for house, speed of recovery, energy rating.
12. Furnace/Air Conditioning : Look for age, energy rating. Furnaces are rated by annual fuel utilization efficiency; the higher the rating, the lower your fuel costs. However, other factors such as payback period and other operating costs, such as electricity to operate motors.
13. Garage : Look for exterior in good repair; condition of floor-cracks, stains, etc.; condition of door mechanism.
14. Basement : Look for water leakage, musty smell.
15. Attic : Look for adequate ventilation, water leaks from roof.
16. Septic Tanks (if applicable) : Adequate absorption field capacity for the percolation rate in your area and the size of your family.
17. Driveways/Sidewalks : Look for cracks, heaving pavement, crumbling near edges, stains.

 

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