A Complete DIY Building Inspection Guide For Every Homeowner

Whether you are planning to buy a new house for yourself, or you are planning to renovate your own house, the building inspection is the key point that can make or break your plan. With the proper inspection of the complete building that you own or that you are going to buy, you can save a lot of money.

[ad#midle]

If you neglect this step, you could face a big loss if you buy a new house and after you make the final deal you come to know that there are a lot of things that need to be repaired or to be reconstructed.

So, the best way is to hire one of the specialist buildings inspection teams around you so that they can guide you in this regard. After their recommendation, you can negotiate the price of the house. Or in case it’s your own house, you can plan what are the most crucial repairs that you should deal with first.

Is it possible to DIY?

Now, if you are not interested in contracting with a contractor, you can do it yourself as well. But for that, you need proper equipment that includes gloves, helmet, torch, safety boots, ladder, and most importantly, a complete checklist of building inspection.

Here are some key points that can help you in inspecting the new building on your own.

Check for plumbing or water leaks

Plumbing leaks or other water leaks from roofing or ceiling are the most common problems in any house. There are different places that you should inspect for any possible plumbing leaks some of which are:

• Plumbing leaks in the bathroom: Even though the bathroom is the smallest part of the house, but it could have the maximum number of problems when it comes to plumbing leaks. Check for the shower, bathtub, toilet, tiles, and other equipment in the bathroom including all the hidden taps.
• Moisture due to water leaks in the basement: It is very important to inspect the basement of any building for possible water leaks. Moisture in the basement and high humidity is a clear sign that there is some water leak. Here you can check the common causes of basement moisture and how to fix them.

[ad#infeed]

• Plumbing leaks in swimming pool and water tanks: If the house has a swimming pool, don’t ignore it for any possible pool leaks. Also, maintenance of water tanks is ignored by many homeowners, so inspect the water tank as well for any possible leak.

Inspect Outer Area of House

If you can access the roofing, then inspect it carefully. Look for any broken or misplaced tiles on the roof and check for the color of the concrete tiles. Also, don’t ignore any rust patches in the tin as it indicates that the structure under the roof is not in good condition.

Again, check the plumbing system on the outer side of the home and check the drainage system, gutters, downpipes, and any rusting on them as well.

Check for the windows, entrance gate, or door for any problem. The garage door repairs are also important so check the garage door as well if it is working fine.

Look For Hidden Problems

There might be some hidden problems in the house as well that you might ignore when in a rush. For example, don’t ignore the electrical switches. Turn on and off each electrical switch to check it’s working and see which electoral appliance is connected to that switch.

Check all the electrical boards, circuit breakers that they are working fine and not broken or burnt from any place.

[ad#midle]

With that, close and open the windows in a house to find any possible break in the joints or the pans. Check all the doors and especially the door locks. Check the working of the door locks by asking for the lock keys.

If they have electrical or digital locks, make sure that they know the codes so that you don’t have to call a locksmith after you finalize the deal.

Check the roofing as well, look for any broken tiles or if there is any wooden floor then it should not be bent. Due to water leaks or moisture, flooring can have clear signs of water damage. Hidden water leaks behind the walls can also be detected by the wet spots on the walls.

If there are any rugs on the floor, lift them to inspect the area under the rugs so that you can be sure that they are not hiding any problems on the floor by using beautiful rugs.

Summary

In this way, you can perform a DIY building inspection to save your investment. But make sure that you make a building inspection checklist so that you don’t forget anything during the inspection.

Also, don’t ignore your own safety. If you think that you can’t inspect the top of the floor or inside of a water tank, then it is best to call a team of buildings inspection who can do this work on your behalf.

[ad#bottom]