3 Home Systems and Other Areas to Check Before a Buyer's Home Inspection?

If you want to check your home’s major systems and zones to be proactive about addressing maintenance issues before a home inspection ordered by a prospective buyer consider this checklist.

Plumbing 

Make sure that the visible pipes around your home are not damaged in any way, and show no signs of leaks—like staining on materials near the pipes.

Check your water heater to verify that it has no signs of rust. Your hot water temperature should be between 118 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit.

Heating and Cooling

Verify that your heating and cooling systems work well, and that you have good airflow throughout your home. Exhaust ducts for these systems should have no open seams, and should be properly routed out of your house.

Make sure there's no rust around your cooling unit, and that its air filter is clean.

Electrical 

Your service panel should have sufficient capacity. Verify that your breakers aren't overheated.

Attic 

Check your attic to make sure it doesn't show signs of structural damage or decay. The underside of your roofing should be free of stains—especially around roof penetrations like chimneys.

Your attic should have sufficient insulation that acts as a moisture barrier between the attic and the heated area of the house.

Verify that there are no exhaust or appliance vents that empty into the attic.

Basement

Check your basement to make sure there are no signs of moisture or water damage.

If there is an unfinished portion of your basement, or a mechanical room that exposes your foundation, check that area to see if there are any major foundational cracks.

Any visible structural wood in your basement should be free of damage, decay, or stains, and should not sag.

Crawl Space

Your crawl space should be sufficiently vented to the exterior of your home.

Make sure there's no evidence of insect or moisture damage in this area.

There should be a vapor barrier, or plastic liner, that covers the dirt floor of your crawl space to keep vapors and soil moisture from getting into the area. Also, exposed water supply, vent, and waste pipes should be insulated.