This is a list of things that I’ve come up with over time as things that should be checked on a house before I buy it. House inspectors pick up on a number of things. However, I’ve also noticed things they haven’t as I’ve lived in the houses that I’ve had inspected. If I buy another house, I’ll have it inspected. I’ll also go through and do my own inspection (This was encouraged in my contract, I just didn’t realize how important it was).

• Check all sewer down pipes for leaks. Remember that one ring means a one time leak. Multiple rings mean a repeat leak. The only way to check this is to climb down under the house and look which isn’t fun, but it’s worth it. Check every single place where pipes come down and look at the insulation that surrounds them (there should be insulation there)
• Check the drywall(well, greenboard or cement board) around every shower stall and bath tub. There should be a good seal created from calk that doesn’t leak. The walls should be flat and expansion of the drywall could mean leaks.
• Map out all electrical circuits. A kitchen with only one circuit doesn’t work. Also look at what you have in the garage. If you only have one circuit there, it could cause problems if you want to have a refrigerator or freezer.
• Map out cable TV and phone outlets and figure out what you can about how the cables are ran. Watch out for places where cables will have to cross doorways to reach your devices.
• Have plumbing scoped to check for problems in the pipes. I’m not sold that this is critical, but all the same, depending on the cost it could be a good thing to have done.
• If the home has forced air, pop open the covers and take a look to see if there are any visible leaks in the duct work at the joints. Also check any visible duct work when you are under the house.