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In 1957, Arthur Tauscher, founder of our firm, prepared a booklet of 100 questions, to spark the thought process among the home buying public before they purchased their home.
Because these questions are no less relevant today, we've updated them, adding questions which reflect the concerns of the 90's.
Termites
1. Are there termites or can they be expected?
2. If there is evidence of termites, is it serious and what method of correction would be best?
3. Are any wooden members of the house in contact with the ground - allowing termite entry?
4. Is there at least a minimum of six inches between the earth and wooden elements to offset easy termite entry?
5. Has a termite shield been installed?
If so, is it installed properly?
6. Has the house been treated against termites and has treatment been applied professionally and correctly?
7. Is the house protected with a service contract?
Electric
8. How much electrical power is available?
9. What major electrical appliances can be used?
10. What is the condition of the various circuits?
11. What is a breaker?
12. Are the number of outlets adequate for modern electrical living?
13. Are the various circuits identified in order to determine what electrical load is on individual circuits?
14. Does electrical wiring installed in a house in excess of thirty years constitute a fire safety hazard?
15. Are lighting fixtures installed at all exterior entrances to the house?
16. What are ground fault interrupters and where are they needed?
17. Is there aluminum wiring?
Heating and Hot Water
18. Is the heating unit a good one, and is its condition good and/or serviceable?
19. Will it heat the house adequately?
20. Which heating system is best - hot air; hot water; or steam?
21. Is the size of the heating unit and the amount of radiation or grills sufficient to give an inside temperature of 70 degrees when the outside temperature is at zero degrees?
22. What is better - gas or oil for heating purposes?
23. Will the temperature be warm enough for children to play in the basement/playroom?
24. How long does an oil storage tank last?
25. Will there be enough hot water?
26. Is instantaneous hot water from the heating unit better than a separate hot water heater or vice versa?
27. Are heat pumps efficient in this climate?
Plumbing
28. Are the water pipes of brass, copper or galvanized iron and what is their condition?
29. Which is best?
30. Is the water pressure normal in various fixtures?
31. Do all the plumbing fixtures work properly and are they of standard quality?
32. Are there any faucet leaks?
33. Are all accessories installed in the bathroom and are they in operable order?
34. What is the difference between a septic tank and a cesspool; which is preferable?
35. Are the clean outs in the sewer (soil) pipes accessible?
36. How is the cement grouting around the top of the tub and other tiled areas?
37. Are there any loose ceramic tiles?
38. Are PVC pipes acceptable?
39. What is the quality and quantity of the well water?
40. Have there been problems with the waste disposal system?
41. What are the dangers of lead pipes and lead joint solder?
42. Is there asbestos pipe insulation?
Construction
43. Is the house well built and meet present day standards and specifications?
44. Does it comply with existing specifications?
45. What about workmanship - is it acceptable?
46. What material was used in constructing the foundation walls?
47. Are there any signs of settlement or cracking in the foundation walls?
48. Are poured concrete foundations walls better than block?
49. Do the fine cracks in the concrete floors have any structural significance?
50. What does it mean if the crawl space or basement floor is not paved?
51. Is there a floor drain in the basement?
Is it necessary?
52. What is the significance of a sump pump in the basement?
53. Is there proper ventilation in the basement, and/or crawl area?
Drainage
54. How is the drainage?
Is the ground soggy or dry?
55. Is the ground around the house and garage graded away?
Structural
56. What type of soil is the house built on?
57. Is this filled-in land and what significance does this have?
58. Does the fact that the house is built on piles mean that there will be settlement problems?
59. Of what material are the columns and girders made - and are they properly sized and securely fastened together?
60. Are the floor joists of the correct depth and length for the span?
61. Is the spacing of these floor joists proper?
62. What are "bridging members" and why are they installed?
63. Are there sufficient rows of bridging and are they nailed properly?
64. Are the floors in good condition from a structural point of view?
65. Will the floors support a heavy load like a piano or waterbed?
66. Is the roof framing proper?
67. Is the attic floor construction strong enough for storage purposes or for the building of extra living quarters with normal floor loadings?
68. Are the louvers in the attic area properly sized to prevent condensation?
69. Can an attic fan be installed and what changes, if any, are necessary?
70. Is the framing around the chimney properly installed?
71. When do sloping floors become a structural problem?
Garage
72. In what condition is the garage and the driveway?
73. Is the garage long enough and wide enough for my car?
74. Does the garage door operator have a proper safety-reverse?
Interior
75. Are the cracks in the plaster walls and ceiling due to structural problems (settlement or excessive shrinkage?
)
76. Can the painter take care of these cracks?
77. Why do nails pop out of dry walls (sheet rock)?
78. What are the advantages and disadvantages of plaster and dry wall construction?
79. What is the significance of squeaky floors?
How can I eliminate this problem?
80. Is the inside trim (moldings, baseboards, etc.), in a good or fair condition?
81. What is the condition of the hardware (locks, knobs, etc.)?
82. Are the doors in serviceable condition?
83. Do they close properly or do they need some shaving down?
84. Are there door stops for all hinged doors?
85. Does the damper in the fireplace open and close properly?
86. Are the kitchen cabinet doors warped and/or improperly hung?
87. Are the windows weather-stripped?
88. Is weather-stripping necessary on all windows?
89. Are the sash cords or chains in a serviceable condition?
90. What type of window is best?
91. Is the attic area insulated?
92. How thick should this insulation be?
93. Is the insulation properly installed?
94. Do exhaust fans work properly?
95. Are the kitchen cabinets secure to the walls?
96. Is the fireplace safe to use?
Exterior
97. Are the exterior walls of the house insulated?
98. Can insulation be blown-in, and how effective is this?
99. Are the exterior doors weather-stripped and what is their condition?
100. What material has been used for the exterior walls?
101. Is the material properly installed and what is it's condition?
102. What are the advantages/disadvantages of wood and asbestos shingles?
103. In what condition is the roofing and are any repairs indicated?
104. When will re-roofing be necessary?
105. Does the exterior trim and/or sidewalls of the house require painting?
106. How often is painting necessary for other than esthetic reasons?
107. Why does paint on the outside of the house blister and what can be done to prevent this condition?
108. What material are the gutters and leaders?
What is their condition and what needs to be done to keep them in serviceable condition?
109. What is a "splash pan" and a "dry well"?
Are they necessary?
110. What is the condition of the putty work around the individual window panes?
111. What is caulking and what does it do?
112. Are there storm windows and doors and what is their condition?
114. Are storm windows and doors really necessary?
115. Should exterior decks be constructed of treated lumber?
116. How long do vinyl pool liners last?
117. Should all windows be replaced with insulating glass units?
Environmental
118. What is urea formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI) and should I be concerned if it's in my prospective new home?
119. What are the laws about under-ground storage tanks (UST) in the area in which I'm planning to buy?
120. Is there a septic system, cesspool or sewer connection in this house?
121. What municipality supplies and monitors my drinking water? Or, is there a private well?
122. Who monitors private wells?
123. How close is the well to the septic system?
124. What is RADON?
125. Is the area in which I'm planning to buy a "radon-prone" area?
126. Is there asbestos in this house or on it?
127. How do I know if the paint in the house contains lead?
128. Should I expect residual problems due to the recent application of chemicals to treat termites?
129. Is the high-tension power line outside the house a potential health threat?
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