This isn’t the professional inspection — that comes later, once you’re serious → Home Inspection Day.
This is your first-pass filter, so you tour with a sharp eye instead of a hopeful one — and so you can actually compare homes side by side when you get home.
Tour with a sharp eye instead of a hopeful one. The full room-by-room checklist — yours to print and take to every showing, so you can compare homes fairly when you get back. Pop in your email.
Outside: roof, gutters and downspouts, foundation (cracks or settling), drainage away from the house, siding/brickwork, windows and doors, landscaping, driveway and walkways, garage.
Inside — general: layout and flow, room sizes, floors, walls and ceilings (cracks, stains), lighting and outlets, windows (operation, drafts), doors, storage.
Kitchen: appliances (age, condition), cabinets and counters, sink and faucets (leaks, pressure), ventilation.
Bathrooms: toilets/showers/tubs (function, leaks), exhaust fans, tiling and caulking (cracks, mold), sink and cabinets.
Systems: HVAC (age, condition), thermostat, insulation, water heater (age, capacity), electrical panel, plumbing (leaks, old piping).
Safety: smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers.
The extras: basement/crawl space (damp, structural), attic (access, use), smart-home features.
Neighbourhood & legal: noise levels, proximity to amenities, property taxes, any HOA/condo fees and rules, zoning.
Take pictures of anything that gives you pause — you’ll want them later, and so will the pros.
Visit at different times. A street that’s calm at 10 a.m. can be a different place at 6 p.m. Light, traffic, and noise all shift.
Ask questions. History, recent work, utility costs, what’s staying, what’s planned for the area. The answers tell you as much as the walls do.
To dig past the first impression and pressure-test whether it’s really the one.
Mike Seal · 226-773-4918 · mikesealsells@gmail.com
Work it in zones: outside (roof, foundation, drainage, windows), inside (layout, floors, walls, storage), the kitchen and bathrooms (leaks, ventilation, condition), the systems (HVAC, water heater, electrical, plumbing), and safety devices. Then step back and assess the neighbourhood — noise, amenities, and anything zoning-related. Photograph anything questionable and visit at different times of day before you decide.
No — and they work together. The viewing checklist is your own first-pass filter as you tour, so you catch obvious issues and can compare homes fairly. A home inspection is a licensed professional’s thorough assessment once you’re serious about a specific property. Use the checklist to decide which homes are worth an inspection.
