Louisville Home Owner

Exterior

Start out with a good look around the outside of the house.

Ridge line (top of roof - )Is it straight or is it bumpy or sagging?

Shingles- Are they clean and newer looking or discolored and worn?

Are there any dips / sags in the roof?

How do the gutters look? Are they tight against the gutter board or pulling away?

Are there water marks or water damage on the eves?

What kind of siding is it? Wood, vinyl, brick? Stand at the corners and look down the walls. Are they wavy or bowed? If it's brick are there any step cracks? Step cracks are from where the bricks are pulling apart often from foundation failure.

What's the condition and efficiency of the doors and windows?

What type of foundation does it have? Concrete, concrete block, stone or brick and some rare occasions wood. If you are looking at modern homes (post WWII) I suggest solid concrete if possible. If you like older homes I suggest stone foundations over brick ones.

Interior

Look at the door and window frames and casings. Do they look square and level?

How about the floors? Do they dip or roll?

When you walk across the room does anything rattle or shake?

Do the ceilings look tight and straight or are they have sags? Watch for water stains also.

Same with the walls. Are they straight and smooth or bowed? If it's an older home with plaster walls give a gentle push in a few spots. Does it feel spongy?

Step in the bathroom. Give the toilet a flush. Did it suck down with a big slurp or a little gurgle? Run the water in the sink for a minute. How was the water pressure. Did it drain well. Same with the bath tub.

Check out the kitchen sink the same way. Appliances tend to take longer to test and is asking a little much of the seller for a non official home inspection.

Basement / Cellar /Crawl Space

If it's a finished basement do pretty much what you did upstairs because you can't see much more than that .Look a little closer for discoloration or mold on the walls and ceilings. In unfinished areas take a look at the foundation walls for cracks. While a few foundation cracks are almost to be expected some are worse than others. Horizontal cracks are generally considered to be the more severe type. They may be an indication of the foundation being pushed in from outside. Vertical cracks are much more common usually considered a problem if they are pretty even from top to bottom and they wall hasn't cocked in or out (This is where the foundation is not flush on both sides of the crack).

Now look at the floor joists, sillplates et. . Your mainly looking for water damage, split floor joists, termites and termite damage. Pay special attention to areas near porches and concrete stoops. Other things to watch for are powder post beetles. (looks like lots of small holes drilled in wood. May have dust falling from them), Fungi, mold or water damage.