General Inspection: You should strongly consider having a professional home inspector go through the house and seek out any potential problems or defects. You’ll want the inspector to provide you with a complete service that covers many areas and aspects of the home with emphasis on the roofing, structural, plumbing, electrical and heating & cooling units.

Termite: During this type of inspection, you would find out if the house has any termites, carpenter ants or other boring pests. The inspector can often report on structural irregularities such as rotted wood. Most lenders require that a termite inspection be done.

Plumbing Inspection: A general home inspector usually determines the state of the plumbing by checking the water pressure, condition and type of drains, pipe leaks, rusts etc. However, if a more detailed inspection is warranted, you may consider a plumbing inspector.

Water Testing: If the house has private source of water such as well, water testing should be considered. Water testing labs can provide you with the bacteria content. You may also want to consider having a well yield flow test done to test the gallons-per-minute pumping capacity of the well pump.

Lead Testing: If you are purchasing a home that was built prior to 1978 you may want to consider testing the home for lead. For more information on lead base paint, please visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s website at www.epa.gov.

Septic Testing: This testing sometimes involves emptying the septic tank and testing for the overall proper function in the system. Some septic service professionals might perform a dye test wherein they drop dye tablets and run water through the system to see if the dye surfaces; this would indicate a problem.

Radon: Radon is an odorless, tasteless radioactive gas that comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in the soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. Testing is the only way to know if the home contains radon. If you are concerned about radon levels (if any) in the home, you should consider making your offer contingent upon a radon test. For more information on radon, please visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s website at www.epa.gov.

Electrical: The general home inspection usually covers basic electrical system inspection comprising checking amperage, checking for exposed wires, determination of type of wiring, wiring and outlets adequacy, etc. If your inspector determines that there is a problem in the electrical system (for example, aluminum wiring which has been declared by the federal government as an “imminent hazard”) an inspection by an electrician might be in order.

Final Walk-Thru – Prior to closing you will want to revisit the property to ensure it is in the same condition (or better) as required in your offer to purchase. During this inspection you will want to make sure that any required repairs have been completed. You should do your final walk thru within five days of closing.