House Inspection for the First Time

As a proud owner of your new home, the first thing that needs to be done once you get the house keys is to inspect the house thoroughly. For this, you will need:

• a marker pen,
• masking tape,
• a few sheets of paper
• an electrical test pen or a small table lamp.

Start from the front of the house and go thorugh every room. In each room:

1. Inspect all the walls, floor and ceiling. If there are any cracks or a damp patch is seen, list it down on paper together with the location, i.e. room name or number. Also, mark the physical spot in the room with the masking tape and write down the lists's reference number on the masking tape so that you and the developer can refer to its location on the written list. For example, you found a crack in the living room wall, so the first item on the list will be written as:

No.	Description	Location
1.	Crack on wall	Ground floor -  Living Room
2.

2. Knock or tap on every wall or floor that is covered with tiles. If you hear a hollow sound, this means that there are hollow spaces underneath the tiles. This must be repaired by the developer so mark the location with the masking tape and add to the list as before.
3. Make sure all tiles are perfect with no cracks or chipped corners. Don't forget to check under the sink or wash basins and at the corners of the wall.
4. Count the number of lighting, fan, airconditioner, water heaters and wall socket points in each room and around the whole house. Make sure the number tallies with that promised by the developer.
5. Test all socket points with an electrical test pen or a small table lamp to make sure that they are working properly. If there are any defects, mark them and add to the list.
6. Test all the bathroom fixtures and make sure they are fixed properly especially underneath the wash basin and at the water outlet point on the floor or wall. Test all the taps or faucets, shower heads and the flushing system of the toilet bowls.
7. Check for any leaks near/under the toilet bowls and underneath the wash basins.
8. If you can, check the water tank on the roof of your house. Make sure there are no leaks and that the tank can be filled up to the required level, i.e. the water meter stops running once the tank is filled. If the meter keeps running and the tank is not filled up, then there may be a leak some where along the pipes.
9. Most houses will have a water outlet from the tank overflow pipe which indicates if the water tank is leaking. Check to make sure no water flows out from this outlet if you cannot climb up to the roof to check the water tank.
10. If you can, check the roof of the house for any cracks on the roof tilings. Check inside the roof to ensure the beams are strong and that there are no items left behind from the construction.

The best time to check for leaks on the ceiling of the house is after a very heavy rain. So do the house inspection a few times especially after a heavy downpour. After the inspection, list all defects and marks them with the masking tape. The list can then be handed in to the developer. It is best to do other renovation works to the house after the defects have been repaired.

Hence, get the inspection done as early as possible because the developer takes a few months to correct all the defects. The longer the list, the more time you need to wait. So, let's get started with the list.

**Credit: Picture by Benis979 from stock.xchng