Home Inspection Checklist: What to Check Before You Close
Why You Should Inspect the Home Yourself Before Closing
Buying a home is the biggest purchase most people will ever make, yet many first-time buyers spend all their attention on natural light, layout and decor — and miss the things that really determine living costs and safety: whether the roof leaks, whether the wiring is old, whether there are termites. You can't see these problems during a casual viewing; you discover them after moving in, when repairs cost tens of thousands.
A professional home inspector is absolutely worth hiring — but professional inspections usually happen after the contract is signed. Before that, you need to do your own preliminary inspection to weed out homes with obvious problems and note anything questionable. Those notes become your leverage when negotiating price and repairs.
20 Things to Check Before You Close
This table covers the 20 most worthwhile checkpoints inside and outside the home. Walk through them in order and you won't miss much:
| # | Checkpoint | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roof | Missing or lifted shingles, signs of patching |
| 2 | Gutters | Clogged, rusted or detached |
| 3 | Exterior walls | Large cracks, bubbling paint, crumbling mortar |
| 4 | Foundation | Sinking corners, cracks near doorways, warped door frames |
| 5 | Doors & windows | Open and close smoothly, worn weatherstripping |
| 6 | Outdoor drainage | Ground slopes away from the house, standing water in the yard |
| 7 | Electrical panel | Old breakers, burn marks |
| 8 | Outlets | Test each one for power, check for grounding |
| 9 | Faucets | Water pressure for hot and cold, normal flow |
| 10 | Toilet | Flushes properly, no leaks at the base |
| 11 | Under sinks | Signs of seepage at pipe joints |
| 12 | Water heater | Brand and age, any leaks |
| 13 | AC & heating | Start them up, listen for noise, check airflow |
| 14 | Ceilings | Yellow water stains, mold spots |
| 15 | Walls | Mold; distinguish hairline cracks from structural ones |
| 16 | Floors | Hollow spots, warping, odors |
| 17 | Windows | Cracked glass, sealing |
| 18 | Bathroom | Hollow tiles, extractor fan working |
| 19 | Wood structures | Mud tubes on baseboards/door frames, hollow sound when tapped |
| 20 | Wiring | Aluminum wire, exposed junction boxes, ungrounded outlets |
After these 20 checks you'll have a solid sense of the home's bones. If you find problems in items 1, 4, 14, 19 or 20, definitely get a professional to take a closer look.
Red Flags: Watch Out for These Signals
- Water stains: Yellow stains on ceilings or walls mean water leaked through from upstairs or the roof. Ask whether it was repaired, and how
- Termites: Thin mud tubes on wooden baseboards and door frames, or a hollow sound when tapped, are classic termite signs
- Asbestos: In older homes (especially pre-2000), ceilings and pipe insulation may contain asbestos. Don't remove it yourself; ask before signing
- Old wiring: Aluminum wire, exposed junction boxes, ungrounded outlets — fixing these doesn't come cheap
How to Document Every Finding Systematically
There's a lot to take in during a viewing, and it's easy to forget things by the end of the walk-through. Record every problem on the spot: what it is, where it is, how serious it is. Take a wide shot to locate the spot, then a close-up to show the detail. Photos plus written notes — no need to rely on memory when you review the record later.
How to Turn Your Viewing Notes into an Inspection Report with SceneBox
With SceneBox on your iPhone, you can turn the whole home-viewing process into a structured inspection report:
Capture: Create a new record for each home you visit. Photos, video, voice memos and text all go in — photograph the crack, record the pipe noise as video, add a voice note saying "mold on the second-floor bathroom window". Visit three homes and you have three clean records that never get mixed up.
Annotate: Draw arrows and add labels on the photos to mark problem spots. For example, label the corner crack "runs toward the foundation, about 3 mm wide — recommend professional assessment". The judgment you make at the viewing becomes a visible note in the report.
Generate a report: Export to PDF with one tap. Share it with family members, hand it to an inspector as a list of priority concerns, or use it during contract negotiations as grounds for repairs or a lower price.
Share: The PDF is a single file — send it via WeChat or email; the other side doesn't need to install anything. All data stays on your device: no account, no uploads, and your viewing information never reaches third parties.
In Summary: One Extra Hour at the Viewing, Thousands Saved After Closing
An inspection isn't about being difficult — it's about turning the unknown into the known. Outside, look at the roof and foundation; inside, check water, electricity and HVAC; be wary of water stains, termites, asbestos and old wiring; and document every finding on the spot. Look at the home yourself first — and when you do hire an inspector, you'll know exactly what questions to ask.
Next time you view a home, bring SceneBox and turn every house into a clear inspection report. Download: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6789491378
