Best Home Inspection Tips
for your Rental Property Investment

Here's some home inspection tips before you make an offer on a property or hire a professional home inspector.

Before you start looking at properties here's a list of tools you should carry:

• small flashlight - sometimes there is no power or poor lighting


• pen and notebook


• tape measure - to note size of rooms


• small digital camera


• small binoculars - when you can't carry a ladder


• pocket knife

Arrive at the house you will be inspecting a little earlier than the Realtor or home owner is expecting. Drive around the neighborhood and take a street photo and a photo of the exterior of the house. If you look at a lot of houses this will help you remember which house is which. Now, here's the best home inspection tips:

1. Use your binoculars to look at the roof. Are the shingles flat or curly? Do they look worn? Ask how old the roof is and if there is more than one layer of shingles.


2. Inspect the siding. Is the paint flaking or wood rotted? Are there large cracks in the foundation or bricks?(Could be a symptom of expensive foundation problems)


3. Note any problems with trees too close to the house


4. check for any rot in the window frames


5. use binoculars to look at the chiminey for large cracks


6. look at the grading around the exterior of the home - is it sloped away from the house?


7. once inside look for stains on the ceilings in all the rooms - this could indicate roof leaks


8. if there is a basement, look for cracks and signs of standing water


9. check for the presence of galvanized plumbing - this is something that will probably have to be replaced


10. look at the breaker box. What size service is there? (should be at least 150 amps) Are there an adequate number of circuit breakers or is it an old fuse box? (It could cost several thousand dollars to upgrade electrical service


11. check the plumbing fixtures for leaks. Open several water faucets wide open and flush a toilet to note water pressure


12. If there is a crawl space or basement look for signs of termites. Use your pocket knife to check for rot or termite damage


13. look for any signs of mold


14. check to see if all the appliance work


15. note if there are GFCI circuits in bathrooms and kitchens


16. look for any loose receptacles and note if any lights flicker. Note how many receptacles there are per room


17. inspect the condition of the windows. Are there large gaps that will let cool air leak in?

This is not an all inclusive list of home inspection tips. I use this list to negotiate with sellers. Once you have made an offer it is worthwhile to get a professional home inspection. If you live in certain areas of the country where termites are present, you must get a termite inspection! Even if you do get a professional inspection, note that these inspectors do not cover certain systems (like wells or pools). Better safe than sorry.

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