Property Inspection Checklist: 8 Things to Check Before You Pay for a Professional Inspection

Before you pay for a professional inspection on any property you are considering buying there are eight things you can check yourself in under an hour that will tell you most of what you need to know about whether the property is worth going further on.

This is not a replacement for a professional inspection. It is a filter. Use it before you spend money on the full report.

1. The Outer Envelope

Start outside. Look at the roof, windows, and siding from the ground and as close up as you can safely get. Missing or damaged shingles, rotted fascia, failed caulking around windows, and damaged or missing siding are all visible without any tools. What you see on the outside tells you a lot about how the property has been maintained overall.

2. Foundation

Walk the perimeter and look at the foundation closely. Stair step cracks in brick, horizontal cracks in concrete block, and visible separation between the foundation and the structure above it are all red flags worth noting. Also check for grading issues around the building where water pools against the foundation instead of draining away from it.

3. Electrical Panel

Open the panel and look at what you are working with. Note the brand, the age if visible, and whether the breakers appear to be properly labeled and organized. Then walk the property and check for GFCI outlets in the kitchen, bathrooms, garage, and any exterior outlets. Missing GFCIs are a code issue and a safety issue and replacing them is inexpensive but their absence tells you something about how much attention the property has received over the years.

4. Run All the Water

Turn on every faucet, shower, and tub in the property and let them run simultaneously. You are checking for three things. Drainage speed tells you about the condition of the drain lines. Water pressure tells you about the supply system. And leaks under cabinets or around fixtures tell you about deferred maintenance that may have gone much further than what is visible. Test the hot water at every fixture at the same time so you know the water heater is working and has reasonable capacity.

5. HVAC Systems

Turn on both the heat and the air conditioning and let each run long enough to confirm the system is actually producing conditioned air. While you are doing that note the year of manufacture on both the inside and outside units and the SEER rating if it is visible. Units over ten years old are approaching the end of their reliable service life and anything over fifteen years should be budgeted for replacement regardless of current condition.

6. Mold

Check under every sink cabinet, inside every access panel, and anywhere you can see evidence of past moisture. Soft cabinet floors, staining, and visible mold growth are all signs of a water issue that has been present long enough to create a remediation cost on top of whatever repair caused it. Mold does not stay where you find it and what is visible is rarely the full extent of it.

7. The Attic

Get up there if you safely can. You are looking for daylight coming through the roof deck which indicates missing or failed roofing material, staining on the sheathing from past or current leaks, any evidence of past fire damage which appears as char or smoke staining on framing members, the condition and coverage of the insulation, the condition of the ductwork, and whether any of the framing looks twisted, rotted, or structurally compromised. The attic tells you things the finished interior will never show you.

8. Beyond the Typical Scope

While you are walking the property take notes on anything that will add cost to the project beyond standard renovation items. Mold requires remediation and repair before any finish work can happen. Wallpaper removal is time consuming and expensive when done properly. Kitchen ceilings in properties where cooking has happened for years are often grease saturated and require cleaning and multiple coats of primer before paint will adhere. These items do not always show up in budgets built by people who have not actually done the work and they add up fast.

That list takes less than an hour to work through and will tell you whether the property deserves the time and money of a full professional inspection or whether you can move on and find a better one.

If you want a more comprehensive walkthrough or have questions about what you found on a property you are considering in Houston, let's talk.

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