Be your own home inspector

Here’s a basic guide to a do-it-yourself inspection:

Exterior

Have a careful look at your home’s exterior. Bricks, concrete block and the mortar between them should show no major deterioration. Long, continuous cracks in the foundation suggest that the foundation is settling unevenly. Siding must be watertight, with no uncovered holes, and it should have tight seams, especially where different materials meet. Peeling, blistered or worn paint is no longer protecting the wood underneath.

Doors and Windows

Do all of you windows and doors open, close and lock-tightly and without any leaks or gaps? Are they missing glass or caulking? Poke around exposed wood, such as window sills, with an awl to check for rot.

Lot Grading and Drainage

Check all the way around your house to see if the ground slopes away from it. Gutters shouldn’t be sagging, loose or clogged, and they should slope toward the downspout. Do you see any weeds growing in a gutter? It’s probably clogged. Check that downspouts direct water away from your house. All seams and joints should be tight.

Foundations

As with the exterior walls, long cracks in a foundation aren’t good. A zigzagging crack, called a “stairstep” or “Z-crack,” usually means uneven settling. Often houses settle early on and stay put thereafter. That’s usually OK, but even stable cracks can let water in. A big problem is if the foundation keeps moving and those cracks grow. Inside, check for water damage-peeling paint, efflorescence (white powdery mineral residue on walls) or stains.

Roof and Flashing

Wind, rain, sun and snow-one or another attacks your roof daily. Be safe-a lot can be seen from the ground, and if you do climb onto the roof, be careful. Look at the roof ridge. If it isn’t straight, or there are dips in the roof surface, then something may be rotting. Typically, the south-facing side gets more sun and wider temperature shifts, so roofing there deteriorates faster. Replace torn or missing shingles. Check metal roofs for signs of rust.

Anything poking through the roof needs proper flashing, or water will get in. Flashing takes a beating from snow and wind and often comes loose.

Wood soffits and fascia can also take a beating, or rather a biting, from animals such as squirrels and mice seeking a cozy attic hideaway-look for holes and check for rot.

Chimneys

Old brick chimneys often lean, looking like the wind is pushing them over. That’s not just hot air: prevailing winds blow corrosive flue gases against one side. That mortar deteriorates faster, causing the chimney to lean. Stained mortar can also be a sign of water in a cracked flue. Check metal chimneys for rust.

Structure

View your house from afar-are exterior walls straight and plumb? Inspect decks, porches and balconies for solid support and firm attachments to the house. These connections are crucial, so check the ledger board carefully. (It should be bolted, not nailed.)

In the basement and attic, check any exposed framing. Look at framing members for size (are they too small for their load?), alignment (warped or shifted?), and condition (cracked, rotting or infested with insects?).