FAIRFAX HOME INSPECTIONS FOR BUYERS--THE OUTSIDE INSPECTION FIRST
Buyers of homes in Fairfax, Va. always need to get a home inspection in order to know what is going on with the home's condition. Whether the home be new or 50 years old, all homes you buy in Fairfax, Va. should be inspected. Would you buy a used car without having a qualified mechanic check it out first for problems that may be hidden from your eyes? Of course not. Homes in Fairfax, whether single family homes, townhomes, or condos, all need to be inspected first in order to find problems that you may only find out about after you have lived in the home a couple months. Fairfax, Va. home inspectors are trained to find most if not all of the problems a home in Fairfax may have. In this posting, let's look at what the inspector looks for on the outside of the home.
A home inspector will check first the land to see its grade; whether the land is sloping to the home or away from the home. This will help in determining whether rain water may build up around the foundation and make for humid and musty smelling basements. This is particularly a problem with older homes. Newer homes have French drains to carry the water to the sump pump which will then pump the rain water to the outside of the home, preferably 8 feet away from it. Next the Fairfax inspector will check the roof for its age, curling shingles, or broken shingles. Most of the time this is done on the ground with binoculars. When it is possible, the inspector will go on the roof and check it closely. But this is not always possible especially with newer homes and townhomes. The roofs are too high and dangerous to climb. Next the Fairfax inspector will check the outside of the home, check the windows, look for any cracks in the foundation, check the condition of gutters, check for peeling paint, and stairs that lead to a basement door. Usually a stairwell leading from the ground to a basement door will have a drain. It is important to let the buyer know that this drain should always be kept clear of debris or else it will clog up and the rain water will overflow into the basement floor.
No only must an inspector look for existing problems, but also must be on the lookout for potential future problems. His job also entails describing the home, the kind of windows it has, the type of siding, brick, vinyl, or aluminum siding; the type of trim, aluminum, vinyl or wood, and the type of roof, shingles, wood shakes, or slate; and also the age and type of air conditioning compressor the home has. On the next posting, I'll talk about the inspection on the inside of the home. Feel free to comment or ask questions!!!!!!