| Home Inspection Report | |
| Client(s): | SAMPLE REPORT |
| Property address: | 2007 Main St. Anytown, USA |
| Inspection date: | Wednesday, October 31, 2007 |
What Really Matters
Buying a home? The process can be stressful. A home inspection is supposed to give you peace of mind, but often has the opposite effect. You will be asked to absorb a lot of information in a short time. This often includes a written report, checklist, photographs, environmental reports and what the inspector himself says during the inspection. All this combined with the seller's disclosure and what you notice yourself makes the experience even more overwhelming. What should you do?
Relax. Most of your inspection will be maintenance recommendations, life expectancies and minor imperfections. These are nice to know about. However, the issues that really matter will fall into four categories:
1. Major defects: An example of this would be a structural failure.
2. Things that lead to major defects: A small roof-flashing leak, for
example.
3. Things that may hinder your ability to finance, legally occupy or
insure the home.
4. Safety hazards, such as an exposed, live electrical wire not
ended properly in a junction box.
Anything in these categories should be addressed. Often a serious problem can be corrected inexpensively to protect both life and property (especially in categories 2 and 4).
Most sellers are honest and are often surprised to learn of defects uncovered during an inspection. Realize that sellers are under no obligation to repair everything mentioned in the report. No home is perfect. Keep things in perspective. Do not kill your deal over things that do not matter. It is inappropriate to demand that a seller address deferred maintenance, conditions already listed on the seller's disclosure, or nit-picky items
 | Safety | Poses a risk of injury or death |
 | Repair/Replace | Recommend repairing or replacing |
 | Repair/Maintain | Recommend repair and/or maintenance |
 | Maintain | Recommend ongoing maintenance |
 | Evaluate | Recommend evaluation by a specialist |
 | Monitor | Recommend monitoring in the future |
 | Serviceable | Item or component is in serviceable condition |
 | Comment | For your information |
Click here for a glossary of building construction terms.
Contact your inspector if there are terms that you do not understand, or visit the glossary of construction terms at http://www.reporthost.com/glossary.aspTable of Contents
General information
Exterior
Roof
Garage
Attic
Electric service
Water heater
Heating and cooling
Plumbing and laundry
Fireplaces, wood stoves and chimneys
Basement
Well
Septic System
Kitchen
Bathrooms
Interior rooms
Radon Test
| General information | Return to table of contents |
This property has one or more fuel burning appliances, and no carbon monoxide alarms are visible. This is a safety hazard. Recommend installing one or more carbon monoxide alarms as necessary and as per the manufacturer's instructions. For more information, visit http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml05/05017.html
| Exterior | Return to table of contents |
Trip hazard(s) exist at front steps. There is only a step utilizing concrete blocks with nonstandard riser and treads. This creates a trip hazard. Proper step and walkway should be installed.
 Photo 47 No front steps or sidewalk installed
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One exterior receptacle was found to have an open ground. This should be corrected by a qualified electrical professional.
 Photo 58 Open ground on exterior receptacle
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The driveway is sloped towards the garage overhead door. A qualified contractor should evaluate and correct the driveway to drain away from the garage.
 Photo 5 Driveway slopes to garage
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The perimeter grading slopes towards the structure in one or more areas. This can result in water accumulating around the structure's foundation, or in basements and crawl spaces if they exist. Accumulated water is a conducive condition to wood destroying insects and organisms. Wet soil may also cause the foundation to settle and possibly fail over time. Recommend grading soil so it slopes down and away from the structure with a slope of at least 5% (10% or better is optimal) for at least 6 feet.
 Photo 64 Ground slopes to house
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There is excess dirt piled up against siding in one area and an animal burrow in another area. These conditions should be corrected.
 Photo 55 Excess dirt at house
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 Photo 56 Animal burrow under family room fireplace chase
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An area of concrete foundation material was found to be missing around the garage service door. Patch with concrete repair material.
 Photo 53 Gap in foundation around garage service door
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Caulk is missing around all windows. This should be corrected so water cannot penetrate around windows and doors.
 Photo 46 Windows missing caulking at frames
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One or more light fixtures have missing bulbs and could not be fully evaluated. Bulbs may simply need to be installed, or repairs or replacement may be necessary.
Sump pump and gutter system drain properly to ditch at road. Clean-outs are installed periodically in drainage piping.
 Photo 45 Gutters drain into ditch at road
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 Photo 48 Drainage cleanout
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 Photo 49 Drainage cleanout
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 Photo 50 Sump and gutters drain into ditch at road
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 Photo 54 Sump and gutter cleanouts
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PVC pipes appear to be temporarily marking property corners. This inspection does not locate property boundaries.
 Photo 51 PVC pipe being used to mark property corner
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 Photo 52 PVC pipe being used to mark property corner
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A backup generator system is present , but was not inspected or tested. The natural gas was shutoff to the system. The pictures are presented for the clients information only. The generator is not part of this inspection.
 Photo 60 Switching panel for backup generator
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 Photo 61 Natural gas powered backup generator
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 Photo 62 Gas shut off to generator
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Back wall is prepared for future deck installation.
 Photo 63 Area provided for future deck
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| Roof | Return to table of contents |
The roof appeared to be professionally installed and in excellent condition.
| Garage | Return to table of contents |
The auto-reverse mechanism on the vehicle door opener is inoperable or requires too much force to activate. This is a safety hazard, especially for small children. A qualified contractor should evaluate and repair as necessary. For more information on garage door safety issues, visit: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/523.html or http://www.ohdstl.com/safety.html
One or more flights of stairs with more than two risers have no handrail installed. This is a safety hazard. A qualified contractor should install graspable handrails that your hand can completely encircle at stairs where missing, and as per standard building practices.
 Photo 2 No handrail in garage
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Concrete floor in garage appears to have settled and several cracks were noted. This does not appear to be a hazard at this time. Monitor and repair or replace if needed.
 Photo 3 Cracked garage floor
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 Photo 4 Cracked garage floor
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| Attic | Return to table of contents |
This home is heavily insulated in the attic, and very well ventilated.
 Photo 12 Attic ventilation baffles
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 Photo 13 |
 Photo 14 |
 Photo 15 |
 Photo 80 Attic access in upstairs closet
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| Electric service | Return to table of contents |
| Water heater | Return to table of contents |
The water heater appears to be professionally installed and operated properly at the time of the inspection.
 Photo 71 |
| Heating and cooling | Return to table of contents |
If unable to determine the last service date, or if this system was serviced more than one year ago, a qualified heating and cooling contractor should inspect, clean, and service this system, and make repairs if necessary. For safety reasons, and because this system is fueled by gas or oil, this servicing should be performed annually in the future. For more information visit: http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml05/05017.html
The outdoor air temperature was below 60 degrees Fahrenheit during the inspection. Because of this, the inspector was unable to operate and fully evaluate the cooling system.
The furnace operated properly at the time of the inspection.
| Plumbing and laundry | Return to table of contents |
No ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection device is visible for the sump pump electric supply. A qualified electrician should determine if a GFCI protection device (receptacle or circuit breaker) exists for the sump pump and install one if missing to reduce the danger of electric shock.
The sump crock has at least two holes or cracks in it. These should be repaired because at present, the water is washing sand into the sump crock. If this continues, the pump could fail and basement flooding could occur. Consult a qualified plumber to make necessary repairs.
 Photo 70 Holes in crock liner should be sealed
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The laundry supply lines and drain were not fully evaluated due to no appliances present.
 Photo 34 Laundry hookups
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| Fireplaces, wood stoves and chimneys | Return to table of contents |
The two gas log fireplaces operated properly with their normal controls Photo 65 Gas fireplace operated properly
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 Photo 66 Gas fireplace operated properly
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| Basement | Return to table of contents |
End of a steel support beam is not fully supported by steel post. Recommend installing a second support post next to existing post to achieve full support bearing for the beam.
 Photo 75 Beam not fully supported on one end
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Makeshift weld on beam that is too short and not properly supporting the floor and wall above, is possibly causing minor drywall cracking in entry above. Suggest correcting this by supporting the "addon" end of beam with additional post.
Several lights did not operate due to burned out bulbs or a switch that could be found. Recommend replacing bulbs, and if problem still persists, consult a qualified electrician.
Egress window and frame are not sealed properly. Correct with mortar and/or caulking.
 Photo 59 Egress window well
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 Photo 79 Air gaps around egress window and frame
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Sewer exit pipe has large gap around it. This gap should be sealed to prevent insects, water, rodents, radon gas, dirt, etc. from entering the basement. Also an unused pipe through the basement wall should be capped for similiar reasons.
 Photo 76 Unused PVC pipe should be capped. Could allow water, dirt, insects, or rodents to enter basement.
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 Photo 77 Sewer exit pipe not sealed around. Caulk or mortar
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| Well | Return to table of contents |
The water was run for one hour and the well kept good pressure and flow. While the water was running, sinks and toilets were tested and the functional flow of water was good. The well casing, tank, and equipment in basement are in good condition. Photo 43 Well casing and cap
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 Photo 78 Well shutoff
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| Septic System | Return to table of contents |
Septic tank and field were located and access covers were removed from the inlet and outlet ends of the tank. Baffles were checked and are in good condition. The pictures will show the location of the tank and access covers for future service and pumping. A septic tank should be inspected every 2-3 years and pumped every 3-5 years, depending upon useage.| Kitchen | Return to table of contents |
The laminate floor had a few minor scratches and one deep scratch. Consult with a flooring professional to address the scratches.
 Photo 37 Scratched kitchen laminate floor
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 Photo 18 Kitchen-no appliances
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 Photo 19 Kitchen
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| Bathrooms | Return to table of contents |
No ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection device is visible for the electric supply to the jetted tub. If no GFCI protection exists, then this is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock. A qualified electrician should evaluate and install GFCI protection if none is installed. Photo 35 Master whirlpool tud
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 Photo 36 No GFCI protection for whirlpool tub
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Caulk is missing around one or more bathroom toilets. It should be replaced where deteriorated and/or applied where missing to prevent water intrusion and damage to the floor structure.
 Photo 27 No caulking at base of toilets.
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Grout is cracked in the master bath shower wall corner. This should be caulked so as not to let water damage the tile or shower wall substrate.
 Photo 28 Cracked grout in master shower
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One piece of base trim was loose and not attached to wall in master bath. Glue or nail.
 Photo 25 Base trim not properly secured
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| Interior rooms | Return to table of contents |
One or more smoke alarms were chirping. Batteries in all the smoke alarms should be replaced after taking occupancy, and annually in the future. "Chirping" noises emitted from smoke alarms typically indicate that batteries need replacing. For more information, visit http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5077.html
One or more sliding screen doors are missing. Screen doors should be replaced where necessary.
Fixtures such as door stops are missing throughout the house. Recommend having a qualified contractor install doorstops where missing.
One or more light fixtures have missing bulbs and could not be fully evaluated. Bulbs may simply need to be installed, or repairs or replacement may be necessary.
 Photo 33 Lightbulb missing at ironing center
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Many interior room photos were taken to give the client a good overview of the house. While this inspector is not a professional photographer, these should be helpful.
Window crank is missing in the North den room.
 Photo 67 One crank missing from den window
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| Radon Test | Return to table of contents |
Radon monitor will be retrieved on Friday, November 2, 2007 and the results will be emailed after retrieval.
