By: Barry Stone
Dear Barry,
Before making an offer on a home or hiring a home inspector, I'd like to conduct a preliminary inspection of the house to see if there are any major defects. Where can I get a detailed inspection checklist that will enable me to do this? - Aaron
Dear Aaron,
Many home buyers have requested a comprehensive pre-purchase check list to use prior to hiring a home inspector; one that would enable the average buyer to perform preliminary property inspection and pinpoint major defects. Such lists have been offered by well-intentioned home inspectors and other consumer advocates. But there are two inherent problems with such lists:
1) No check list or short course in home inspection qualifies the average home buyer to recognize or evaluate the subtle and elusive symptoms of significant property defects; and 2) No check list, regardless of length, includes all of the potential problems likely to be found by a qualified home inspector.
In short, neither the checklist nor the average home buyer without construction or inspection experience is equal to the task of reliable defect discovery. The best approach, therefore, is to visually check the building for obvious physical damage or deterioration. If it appears reasonably intact, make an offer to purchase, contingent upon the findings of a qualified home inspector. Only a professional inspector can provide the degree of analysis essential to making an informed purchase decision.
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