Courtesy
of
Freddie
Mac
Step
1
Interviewing
the
Owners/and
or
Occupants
It's
possible
to
collect
a
tremendous
amount
of
useful
information
before
you
conduct
the
consumer
home
inspection
by
sitting
down
with
the
sellers
or
occupants.
Ask
openended,
leading
questions.
You
may
begin
by
asking
the
occupants
these
questions:
Are
you
aware
of
any
termite
damage
or
activity
in
your
home?
Virtually
all
homes
sold
today
require
a
termite
inspection
and
certificate
so
a
complete
history
of
any
damage,
treatment
or
repair
is
important
to
know
from
the
start.
Does
your
home
have
any
existing
or
repaired
structural
problems,
such
as
cracks
in
the
basement
floor,
rotted
floor
joists
or
settlement
cracks
in
the
walls?
Do
you
ever
have
moisture
in
your
basement?
A
typical
concern
when
buying
a
home
is
a
wet
basement
or
crawl
space.
It's
important
to
learn
about
a
wet
basement
early
so
that
it
can
be
repaired
or
you
can
negotiate
the
price
of
repair
before
you
buy
the
home.
Have
you
seen
any
signs
of
a
leaking
roof?
If
the
roof
has
leaked
in
the
past,
it's
important
to
determine
whether
repairs
were
made
or
a
new
roof
was
installed.
If
the
home
has
an
asphalt/fiberglass
shingle
roof,
which
normally
lasts
15
to
18
years
and
the
home
is
17
years
old,
ask
if
the
roof
has
been
replaced
recently.
A
professional
home
inspector
can
determine
this
for
you.
Have
you
experienced
any
problems
with
the
heating
or
air
conditioning
systems?
Find
out
the
ages
of
the
heating
and
cooling
equipment
and
any
problems
the
occupants
may
have
had
with
the
systems.
Have
you
tested
your
home
for
radon
recently?
The
risks
from
radon
gas
vary
greatly
in
different
parts
of
the
country.
Contact
the
local
environmental
protection
agency
to
obtain
information
about
the
presence
of
radon
in
the
area.
Is
the
electrical
service
satisfactory?
Find
out
the
capacity
of
the
electrical
service
and
whether
the
occupants
have
had
problems,
such
as
fuses
blowing
frequently,
circuits
overloading,
outlets
not
working
or
lights
flickering
when
appliances
are
turned
on.
What
is
the
condition
of
the
plumbing
system?
Find
out
about
the
water
pressure,
whether
the
plumbing
leaks,
whether
there's
enough
hot
water,
the
age
of
the
water
heater
and
whether
the
system
has
been
updated
in
any
way.
Have
you
remodeled
or
made
improvements
to
your
home?
If
improvements
have
been
made
to
the
home,
inquire
about
the
competence
of
the
individual
or
company
who
provided
the
service.
Check
the
credentials
of
the
person
who
made
the
improvements,
to
make
sure
he
or
she
is
a
licensed
builder,
owner
or
technician.
Was
your
home
built
before
1978?
Before
1960?
Some
homes
built
before
1978
and
many
homes
built
before
1960
contain
lead-based
paint.
If
the
paint
is
chipping,
peeling,
cracking,
flaking
etc.,
and
contains
lead,
it
may
be
dangerous
especially
for
children
under
age
seven.
You
may
wish
to
inquire
specifically
if
the
home
contains
lead
paint
or
if
it
has
ever
been
tested
for
lead
paint.
Go
To
Step
2
Step
1
|
Step
2
|
Step
3
|
