{"id":2578,"date":"2020-09-15T12:11:06","date_gmt":"2020-09-15T02:11:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/?p=2578"},"modified":"2020-12-15T10:24:05","modified_gmt":"2020-12-15T00:24:05","slug":"diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\/","title":{"rendered":"DIY Home Inspection: What to Look for (before your inspector comes)"},"content":{"rendered":"

A home inspection is often a required part of property purchase, regardless if you are a buyer or a seller. Generally, the comprehensive check-up is done by licensed inspectors who give a detailed written report of the property\u2019s condition.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

However, you can get a rough overview of your property’s present condition and worth simply by doing a DIY home inspection ahead of time. By doing this, you\u2019ll be able to spot minor damage in your house, preventing costly repairs in the future and saving your precious time and hard-earned cash.<\/p>\n

To help you prepare for your pre-purchase home inspection<\/a>, here\u2019s a simple guide of a DIY home inspection you can perform before your inspector arrives.<\/p>\n

Also read:\u00a0How To Pass Your Building Inspection<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The General Structure of Your Home<\/h2>\n

Start by looking at the general appearance of your property from a distance. Tour around the property and view the structure from various angles. Check for sagging and bent lines in the general house frame as they indicate possible further damage. Homes that are in good condition are linear, even, and intact.<\/p>\n

External Wear and Tear<\/h2>\n

For the next step of your personal inspection, take a closer look at your home. Check the exterior for deteriorating parts, stains or blemishes, and even lumps — these are signs of wear and tear that need to be addressed. Additionally, scan if there are missing, cracked, or disfigured brick walls. It\u2019s necessary to have them in place before your inspector comes.<\/p>\n

\"crack<\/p>\n

Concrete Foundation Issues<\/h2>\n

In general, concrete foundation hairline cracks are fairly normal and do not require corrective measures as they are only due to the structure\u2019s normal settlement. It’s only time to press the panic button when bigger cracks or growing crack lines become evident. Additionally, if swelling manifests in the walls of the foundation, ring a professional trade to get it fixed immediately.<\/p>\n

Also read:\u00a0When To Walk Away From A Property<\/a><\/p>\n

Stiffness or Wobbliness<\/h2>\n

Window or door fittings must not be stiff or loose. Have them properly aligned and fitted so that you can open or close them with ease. A tight or wobbly door or window not only might result in higher power consumption and increased bills but may cause an impending expensive replacement procedure as well.<\/p>\n

Roof Damages<\/h2>\n

Roof leak problems are common in homes. If left unattended, these leaks can lead to discolouration, interior damage, and even incur the presence of mould<\/a>. It might not be a major issue during sunny days, but it will be the prime entry point for water to invade your home during rain or thunderstorms.<\/p>\n

A pair of binoculars will do the trick in inspecting for roof damages. If you want a closer look, you can use a ladder to check upon damaged or missing roof tiles.<\/p>\n

\"Roof<\/p>\n

Ceiling, Wall, and Floor Damages<\/h2>\n

The usual culprit in ceiling, wall, and floor damage is a water leak. When water penetrates your ceiling, wall, or flooring, you have to take swift action before it damages other parts of your home. The signs of water damage inside your house include discolouration, water rings, or even barely noticeable water stains on ceiling or walls. In the flooring, soft or sinking spots, fissured tiles, and deformed wooden laminates are proof of water damage.<\/p>\n

Plumbing Problems<\/h2>\n

To determine if there are plumbing fixtures that need to be repaired, look for marks of corrosion or water trickles for they suggest leaks. Test whether the drains are functional and not clogged. See to it that water pressure is consistent throughout the waterways. Varying water pressure from water installations indicates a plumbing problem which is needed to be repaired.<\/p>\n

Electrical Wiring System Flaws<\/h2>\n

The simplest test for electrical problems at home is done simply by turning the lights on and off. But more importantly, you have to be on the lookout for visible electrical problems related to switches and outlets. Splices in the wirings are also a clear sign of a sloppy electrical system. Also have a look at\u00a0 the breaker box for any scorchings and other obvious flaws.<\/p>\n

\"Checking<\/p>\n

Rotten Wood<\/h2>\n

Explore wooden frames and beams by picking it with a screwdriver. Mushy spots, uneven slumps, and babbled paints are manifestations of rotting. Luckily, rotted woods can be restored immediately using wood hardeners and polyester fillers.<\/p>\n

Termite Mud Tubes<\/h2>\n

When you see pencil-sized mud tunnels winded up in joists, that could mean serious trouble. To discover whether termite infestation is active, break the mid-portion of the tubes and leave both ends undamaged. If termites readily come out in the tunnel or the tunnel is fixed in a matter of days, consider calling pest control services.<\/p>\n

Read more about termite treatment plans<\/a><\/p>\n

Professional Inspections with Inspect My Home<\/h2>\n

Armed with a keen eye for details and equipped with some basic tool, you can do a DIY home inspection using this helpful guide. However, bear in mind that although a personal inspection is handy and helpful, it\u2019s not enough to get a complete scope of your property. In the end, only licensed professional inspectors can provide full reports about the overall condition of your property.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re planning to buy or sell a home, Inspect My Home can provide the professional inspection that you need with a detailed report<\/a> in 24 hours. We are fully licensed and insured, and service Queensland, New South Wales, and Western Australia.<\/p>\n

Call Inspect My Home at 1300 337 447<\/a> or book online<\/a> to get your professional home inspection today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A home inspection is often a required part of property purchase, regardless if you are a buyer or a seller. Generally, the comprehensive check-up is done by licensed inspectors who give a detailed written report of the property\u2019s condition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2584,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[243],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-categories"],"yoast_head":"\nDIY Home Inspection: What to Look for - Inspect My Home<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"To help you prepare for your pre-purchase home inspection, here\u2019s a simple guide of a DIY home inspection you can perform before your inspector arrives.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"DIY Home Inspection: What to Look for - Inspect My Home\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"To help you prepare for your pre-purchase home inspection, here\u2019s a simple guide of a DIY home inspection you can perform before your inspector arrives.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Inspect My Home\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-09-15T02:11:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-12-15T00:24:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pexels-life-of-pix-8092.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Inspect My Home\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Inspect My Home\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Inspect My Home\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f4c2343b1133788ec0aa30bdbf2ee4de\"},\"headline\":\"DIY Home Inspection: What to Look for (before your inspector comes)\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-09-15T02:11:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-12-15T00:24:05+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":924,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/pexels-life-of-pix-8092.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"All Categories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\\\/\",\"name\":\"DIY Home Inspection: What to Look for - Inspect My Home\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/pexels-life-of-pix-8092.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-09-15T02:11:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-12-15T00:24:05+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f4c2343b1133788ec0aa30bdbf2ee4de\"},\"description\":\"To help you prepare for your pre-purchase home inspection, here\u2019s a simple guide of a DIY home inspection you can perform before your inspector arrives.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/pexels-life-of-pix-8092.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/pexels-life-of-pix-8092.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"building inspector\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"DIY Home Inspection: What to Look for (before your inspector comes)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Inspect My Home\",\"description\":\"Property & Maintenance News\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f4c2343b1133788ec0aa30bdbf2ee4de\",\"name\":\"Inspect My Home\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ccae8678947ebf0b1f0d9866f72b11362030bdc164e4b80411599b5e73ebd4ed?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ccae8678947ebf0b1f0d9866f72b11362030bdc164e4b80411599b5e73ebd4ed?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ccae8678947ebf0b1f0d9866f72b11362030bdc164e4b80411599b5e73ebd4ed?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Inspect My Home\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"DIY Home Inspection: What to Look for - Inspect My Home","description":"To help you prepare for your pre-purchase home inspection, here\u2019s a simple guide of a DIY home inspection you can perform before your inspector arrives.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"DIY Home Inspection: What to Look for - Inspect My Home","og_description":"To help you prepare for your pre-purchase home inspection, here\u2019s a simple guide of a DIY home inspection you can perform before your inspector arrives.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\/","og_site_name":"Inspect My Home","article_published_time":"2020-09-15T02:11:06+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-12-15T00:24:05+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pexels-life-of-pix-8092.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Inspect My Home","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Inspect My Home","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\/"},"author":{"name":"Inspect My Home","@id":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f4c2343b1133788ec0aa30bdbf2ee4de"},"headline":"DIY Home Inspection: What to Look for (before your inspector comes)","datePublished":"2020-09-15T02:11:06+00:00","dateModified":"2020-12-15T00:24:05+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\/"},"wordCount":924,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pexels-life-of-pix-8092.jpg","articleSection":["All Categories"],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\/","url":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\/","name":"DIY Home Inspection: What to Look for - Inspect My Home","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pexels-life-of-pix-8092.jpg","datePublished":"2020-09-15T02:11:06+00:00","dateModified":"2020-12-15T00:24:05+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f4c2343b1133788ec0aa30bdbf2ee4de"},"description":"To help you prepare for your pre-purchase home inspection, here\u2019s a simple guide of a DIY home inspection you can perform before your inspector arrives.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pexels-life-of-pix-8092.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pexels-life-of-pix-8092.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707,"caption":"building inspector"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/diy-home-inspection-what-to-look-for\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"DIY Home Inspection: What to Look for (before your inspector comes)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/","name":"Inspect My Home","description":"Property & Maintenance News","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f4c2343b1133788ec0aa30bdbf2ee4de","name":"Inspect My Home","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ccae8678947ebf0b1f0d9866f72b11362030bdc164e4b80411599b5e73ebd4ed?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ccae8678947ebf0b1f0d9866f72b11362030bdc164e4b80411599b5e73ebd4ed?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ccae8678947ebf0b1f0d9866f72b11362030bdc164e4b80411599b5e73ebd4ed?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Inspect My Home"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2578","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2578"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2578\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2702,"href":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2578\/revisions\/2702"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inspectmyhome.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}