14 rapid-fire checkpoints when inspecting the outside of a building before the Seller or Seller agent shows up to the appointment

Quite often when a buyer shows up to look at a building, someone either the Agent or Seller, will start throwing out words into the street like smelly refuse from an overturned garbage can being ravaged by rabid dogs.  As such, it pays as a Buyer to do your own inspection on the outside of the building prior to meeting with anyone.  Do this in person or look at each property via Googleearth(r), Bing(r) or equivalent websites.

This inspection list below empowers you to get a good grasp of a place to see if it fits your needs.

Start your inspection in the order noted.

Most anyone over the age of 12 can evaluate obvious deficiencies and possible problems in a building.  A lot of it is common sense and “if it doesn’t look good, feel good, it isn’t any good.

This checklist is for you, the Buyer to evaluate on your own.

1.  Roof line: On the roofline look for any and every line from the top to the edge of the roof, front to back, side to side then all around.  You are looking for lines that are straight.  If the edges of the roof at the top, on ridges, bottom, valleys are not straight, there could be problems with the roof system.

2. Gutters: Look for missing downspouts, sagging horizontal sections, leaks/holes in sections and debris or leaves piled up on the horizontal sections of the gutters.  At the base of the vertical sections, look to see from where and how the water flows out of the gutters. The end of the gutters should be directed away from the base of the building.

Follow the lines!  Follow the lines of the downspouts all the way around the house. Look to determine where water drains to and how.

3.  Windows: Look under any openings such as windows for leaks in and around them.  Look for cracked panes or broken glass.  Look for cloudy windowpanes-possible moisture leaks/intrusions.  How about the edges of the windows? Scan your eyes around the windows to literally get a clear idea of what you are looking at.

4. Doors: Look around the door frames and at the bottom (called thresholds) for rot or damage.

5. Walls: Look down the sides of the house scanning your eyes from one end to the other. Do you see any imperfections or does anything really stand out?  You are looking for “wobbly walls”, aka siding, brickwork, stucco not done right or that has cracks in it, (possible signs of foundation issues or water leakages).

6.  Entrances: Scan your eyes all around the edges of the entrance looking for damaged, rotted, or anything else that "doesn't look right.”   An entrance maybe any opening leading to another part of the house or garden.

7.  Foundation:  We consider the foundation everything below the wall.  Sometimes you can see it, sometimes not.  If you can, look for any cracks or missing bits and pieces, which may allude to possible foundation issues.

8.  Landscaping: Here you are looking for how water drains away from or towards the house. How does the landscaping tie into the pathways and driveway?

9.  Driveways and other paved surfaces:  Look for cracked driveways or leaning concrete.  Remember: most driveways or pathways have a shallow foundation and shift or crack over time.  

10.  Railings on porches or elsewhere:  Look for the condition of the railings, that is, how they come together, the spacing between vertical parts of the railings, and any associated gates with the railings.  Are they built to code? Are they safe for kids?

11.  Fences:  Look for rotted wood on wooden fences and bent or damaged wire on chain link fences.  

12.  Electrical: Take a look at those metal boxes we call electrical panels. If you are not sure where they are, follow the electrical wires from the street and they will lead you to the panel.  If the listing says it is a “duplex (two units) make sure there are two meters. If listed as a triplex (three units) then look for three meters.  If you can, (and as long as it looks safe to touch) open up the electrical panel very slowly and take a look inside. Watch out for bugs flying out! How does the panel look? Are all the breakers there? Any open spaces in the panel?  Even if you are not an electrician when you see random wires in and out of the breaker box, stay clear and ask why.  

13.  Plumbing: Take a close look for any pipes going in, (water supply lines) and any water going out (sewer or drain lines).  You are looking for corrosion, sagging piping, vertical or horizontal, and anything not covered at the ends.  Look for leaks of any kind in or around the piping.

14.  HVAC (Heating, Venting and Air Conditioning) – or air conditioning of any kind.  You are looking to see how the unit and vents were installed. Check to see If any equipment looks like it is sagging, leaking, covered in anything green, brown, or is really noisy.  These could be signs of wear and tear and troubles.

As a property owner it is very important to do your own self-evaluation before you make an offer.  At all costs, avoid just throwing caution to the wind and making an offer, then spending hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars on inspections when you could have figured out a lot of potential drama/problems yourself using this list first.

Use this list also to evaluate how you will make an offer based onyour preliminary inspection.  Don’t fall for the classic “Well let’s see what the inspector comes up with!” nonsense from Sellers or their Agents.  That’s a waste of your precious time and soon to be your money down a leaky drain of life.  Be firm with your findings and it will help reinforce your gut feelings about a place.