Whether you’re buying or selling a home, you’ll need a few inspections. This helps identify potential problems before you’ve finalized the sale. Typically, your realtor should recommend them to you. But, you can always request them on your own. Here are a few things you should always inspect before closing on a home.

1. Water Heaters
Replacing a water heater could potentially cost thousands of dollars. Most of the time, water heaters are built to last for around 10-15 years. If they’re older than that, they’re living on borrowed time. Many things could go wrong with an older unit. But, you’ll only know about them if you’ve had them inspected. Inspecting the water heater could help you decide whether a home is worthwhile. If you’ve got to replace its water heater, it might not be worth as much as you’d thought. Broken water heaters can even cause water damage to your home. So, a bad inspection could mean you’ll have more problems later on.

2. HVAC Units
After inspecting the water heater, you’ve got to take a look at the HVAC unit. Air conditioning is almost required in certain parts of the country. However, you can live without them in a lot of places. Either way, you’ll want to know whether yours is in good condition. Usually, you can rely on them to last for 10-15 years as well. So, if you’ve got a relatively new one, it’ll probably last a while longer. Still, replacing an HVAC unit is another repair that could run you thousands. Learning about them is a good idea when you’re looking to buy a new home. If it doesn’t have a high-quality HVAC unit, you might want to look elsewhere.

3. The Foundation
Foundation problems can be some of the most costly issues you can have as a homeowner. A cracked foundation puts the whole home at risk, so you can’t ignore it. Repairing a cracked foundation is no small task, either. A lot of repairs involve lifting the whole home off the ground. That takes a lot of men and machinery, adding to the bill. Requesting an inspection of the foundation would be a good idea. That way, you’ll learn about any issues before closing on a deal. If you discover something wrong with it, looking for another home might make sense. You should pass on that one unless the owners decide to pay for all the repairs.

4. Plumbing and Fixtures
Everybody needs good plumbing in their home. Otherwise, you’ll have low water pressure. And, you could even wind up with a lot of water damage. Most newer homes tend to have relatively high-quality plumbing. But, if you’re buying something old, it might not have the best pipes. Get someone to inspect all the plumbing before making any decisions. That will let you know if there are any significant issues with the home’s plumbing. You should also get the inspector to look at all the fixtures, too. They’ll be able to tell whether they’re in good condition.

5. The Roof
Finally, you shouldn’t purchase a home without a roofing certificate. That’s something you get from the inspector after they’ve inspected the roof. It lets you know the roof should last for another 3-5 years. Buying a home without a roofing certificate isn’t the best idea. You might not see any problems with the roof until after a passing storm. Then, you’d hear the sound of water gushing all over the floor. Storms can wreak havoc on your roof, even when it’s brand-new. You wouldn’t want to buy a home unless it’s got a high-quality roof. Replacing one of them is another high-ticket repair.

Inspecting a Home Thoroughly
Inspections are one of the most valuable tools you’ve got when looking to purchase a property. You never want to buy something unless you know it’s in good condition. Repairs could cost you way more than you had planned. So, hiring an inspector is a much better idea. They’ll be able to tell you when something needs to be replaced. And, they’ll give you a good idea about how long everything will last, too.

5 Things Your Home Realtor Should Recommend Be Inspected by Maggie Bloom