Courtesy
of
Freddie
Mac
Step
2
The
Inspection
Kitchen
and
Bath
General
Observations
|
Basements
|
Home
Systems
|
Kitchen
and
Bath
|
The
Exterior
The
Kitchen
The
condition
of
a
kitchen
is
a
major
consideration
in
the
selling
price
of
a
home.
- Check
the
ages
and
condition
of
the
appliances
to
determine
when
they
should
be
replaced.
The
seller
is
usually
a
good
source
for
this
information.
With
experience
you'll
be
better
able
to
guess
the
age
of
most
appliances
by
color
and
style.
Turquoise
and
pink,
for
example,
were
popular
in
the
1950s;
coppertone
and
avocado
were
common
in
the
1960s;
harvest
gold
and
bone
white
were
colors
of
the
1970s.
Floor
styles
change
with
the
times
as
well.
- Look
for
minor
problems,
such
as
an
oven
door
that
wont
open
or
a
pilot
light
that
is
out.
-
Check
ovens
and
ranges
for
electric
or
gas
operation.
- Check
whether
a
range
hood
and
fan
is
the
filter
type
or
vented
to
the
outside.
It's
best
to
have
a
range
hood
with
outside
ventilation.
- Make
sure
there
is
sufficient
cabinet,
counter
and
eating
space.
- Check
the
quality
and
condition
of
the
cabinets.
The
Bathroom
Until
the
early
1960s,
bathroom
tile
installations
were
set
in
mortar
bed.
Although
professionals
consider
it
to
be
quality
installation,
it
can
only
be
removed
with
a
sledgehammer.
If
you
plan
to
remodel
or
change
lead
waste
and
water
pipes,
you
must
have
ceramic
tile
removed.
Today,
most
installations
paste
the
ceramic
tile
onto
plaster
walls
or
waterproofed
drywall.
- Carefully
check
the
condition
of
the
bathroom
floor.
If
it
has
been
poorly
maintained
or
water
has
overflowed,
the
floor
may
be
rotted
and
require
replacement.
If
the
floor
is
badly
rotted,
it
may
have
affected
the
floor
joists
below.
You
can
sometimes
verify
this
condition
by
checking
the
ceiling
below,
where
the
plaster
may
have
fallen
away
revealing
the
subfloor
and
joists.
- Ask
the
seller
if
there
have
been
any
leaks
or
problems
with
a
ceramic
shower
stall.
A
common
plumbing
problem
in
older
homes
is
a
cracked
lead
pan
in
a
shower
stall.
Check
the
ceiling
below
for
signs
of
moisture.
Run
all
of
the
faucets.
General
Observations
|
Basements
|
Home
Systems
|
Kitchen
and
Bath
|
The
Exterior
|
