Home Inspections

Step 2
The Inspection
Kitchen and Bathroom

General Observations | Basements | Home Systems | Kitchen and Bath | The Exterior

The Kitchen
The condition of a kitchen is a major consideration in the selling price of a home.

• Check the ages and condition of the appliances to determine when they should be replaced. The seller is usually a good source for this information. With experience you'll be better able to guess the age of most appliances by color and style. Turquoise and pink, for example, were popular in the 1950s; coppertone and avocado were common in the 1960s; harvest gold and bone white were colors of the 1970s. Floor styles change with the times as well.
• Look for minor problems, such as an oven door that wont open or a pilot light that is out.
  Check ovens and ranges for electric or gas operation.
• Check whether a range hood and fan is the filter type or vented to the outside. It's best to have a range hood with outside ventilation.
• Make sure there is sufficient cabinet, counter and eating space.
• Check the quality and condition of the cabinets.

The Bathroom
Until the early 1960s, bathroom tile installations were set in mortar bed. Although professionals consider it to be quality installation, it can only be removed with a sledgehammer. If you plan to remodel or change lead waste and water pipes, you must have ceramic tile removed. Today, most installations paste the ceramic tile onto plaster walls or waterproofed drywall.

• Carefully check the condition of the bathroom floor. If it has been poorly maintained or water has overflowed, the floor may be rotted and require replacement. If the floor is badly rotted, it may have affected the floor joists below. You can sometimes verify this condition by checking the ceiling below, where the plaster may have fallen away revealing the sub­floor and joists.
• Ask the seller if there have been any leaks or problems with a ceramic shower stall. A common plumbing problem in older homes is a cracked lead pan in a shower stall. Check the ceiling below for signs of moisture.
  Run all of the faucets.

General Observations | Basements | Home Systems | Kitchen and Bath | The Exterior

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