House Inspections – 5 Defects To Look For

The overall appearance of a house is what many buyers get attracted to, but usually there is much more to homes that you can’t see without serious scrutiny. Regardless of whether you are a first time buyer or you are investing in different properties, there are some rules to purchasing properties and they never change for any reason. Look into the details of any home that captures your eye. The issues that can seem to be small can actually cost a fortune to fix. Buying property is always a very large financial investment and you have to take some time when making the decision.

The problematic house defects

There are some rather serious defects that everyone who want to purchase a house needs to keep an eye open for. After you ensured that there are existing house plans for the structure you need to look at these common defects:

1. Foundation wall cracks

You may think that these can be easily spotted. However, you need to know that cracks can be well hidden by plaster layers as well as paint. A crack may not mean there is a great defect. However, there are some cracks that could indicate some extreme structural damage that would be very hard to fix and costly too. Horizontal cracks are more serious than the vertical ones.

2. Roof Inspection

Replacing some different fixtures, especially related to plumbing, can be very cheap and quick. However, when you have to replace the entire

, it can cost a lot of money. If you see yellow marks on the roof, it means that the roof leaks and needs repairing.  The roof is an essential part of the home as it protects us from the elements, and if roof damage isn’t addressed, more problems will present themselves.

3. Foundation Inspection

It is important that you have effective and sufficient water drainage all over the exterior of your home so as to make sure that dampness problems and pooling don’t occur, especially in the areas that are low lying. Poor drainage can lead to rot and mold, but the water intrusion that is persistent can actually lead to a compromise of the foundation structure and it can be very expensive to rectify.

4. Electrical Inspection

According to the law, homeowners need to have an electrical certificate of compliance that is valid in their possession. This shows that the installations and the electrical works are actually safe and they meet the set standards. Look out for amateur repairs that may have been done by the homeowner over time.

5. Plumbing Inspections

The issues with plumbing can be really difficult to check and detect because the problem could be underground. Common issues include piping material that is outdated as well as fixtures that are faulty. Replacing fixtures can be simple, but the entire system can require some more extensive measures. Look at the pipes and have a professional plumber take a look at the entire system.