Buying a new home is one of the biggest purchases you are likely to make in your life, so it is imperative that you treat it with the right amount of respect it deserves. This means taking every precaution you can, including inspecting the home yourself. However, most Americans are not experts when it comes to home inspections and so little details that might seem insignificant can slip past them. To avoid this happening, you should always schedule an expert home inspection by professionals. Here is how that can help you sort out the bad houses from the quality ones.

Foundations 

The first thing professional home inspections want to look at is the foundations themselves. Without strong foundations that are up to scratch, a house is nothing more than a liability waiting to come down. A home inspector will know how to look for tell-tale signs of disrepair and erosion, which can be major headaches for you later on. They also know how to spot poor attempts at fixing cracking foundations. To the average eye, it might look completely normal, but to a trained professional, foundations reveal a lot about the upkeep of the home and whether you can expect other surprises upstairs.

Everything To Do With The Water

Water can be a big issue for old houses in many different ways. From leaking pipes to poor water pressure and even water heaters that are well past the point of saving, there is a whole host of issues that can come from the plumbing of a house. The problem is that a lot of these very important things you should check are in hard to see areas, such as below sinks, behind washing machines, between wall cavities, and so on. It is also easy to forget to run the water for a few minutes to feel how it reacts over a period of time, not just a quick on and off touch.

The Roof

Another feature that is hard to judge for newcomers is the roof. How do you tell if a roof is within months of needing a full repair or totally fine and able to last for years to come? An expert eye who has seen it all before can spot these differences very easily. Whether it is checking the gutters, flashing, joinery, and so on for wear and tear to actually going inside and checking the attic for signs of failure. Ensuring you have a roof over your head, running hot water, and a steady foundation are three areas that many people forget when conducting home inspections, so make sure you use an expert to help you remember.

For more information, reach out to a local home inspection service.