During your New Jersey home inspection there are a many areas inside and outside the home which needs to be inspected and reported on and each time a home inspector in NJ does a home inspection; the kitchen is always an important room that needs to be properly inspected.
Here are some of the areas that should be properly inspected during the home inspection.
· Stove & range: Check and report on the type of range look for physical damage, check to see if all the range burners or electric range elements will operate as they should. The oven needs to be tested using the bake as well as broil cycle
· Exhaust fan or range hood: The existence or non existence of a range rood or vent fan should be reported on. Most new range hoods aren't required to be vented outside it can filter and re-circulate the air. However it is always advantageous to have the vent hood discharge to the exterior in order to vent steam and moisture to prevent damage.
· Refrigerator: The refrigerator is not included in home inspection in NJ but I mention it here because some NJ home inspectors do report on it. The home inspector should make sure the interior is cool and the door opens and closed properly and is tight. The ice maker needs to be checked and / or reported about if it's out of service. One of the leading issues that can be found on a refrigerator is often a leaking supply line for the ice maker
· Sink: Look at the condition and also be sure that the trap is not leaking below the kitchen sink. Make sure the sink drains efficiently.
· Kitchen faucet: The kitchen faucet gets a great deal of use and hot and cold water flow should be checked and tested. Look for water leaks along the base of the sink.
· Dishwasher: The dishwasher needs to be operated in order to make sure it's connected to the cabinets securely and run through a cycle and examined for leaks.
· Microwave oven: A built-in microwave oven needs to be inspected, operated and checked to make sure it is fastened securely to the wall.
· Garbage disposal: any disposal unit should really be checked with water running check and make sure the protective rubber insert inside of the drain is in good condition in order to avoid items from falling into the disposal unit.
· Cabinets: The cabinets should be secured to the walls with screws and not nails. Nails are not good in this application because they can pull out. All cabinets should be inspected for damage as well.
· Countertops: All types of counter top surfaces should be properly secured to the cabinets. All the Formica and laminate tops has to be checked for loose end caps and burnt areas this is especially true near the cooking equipment. The solid surface types particularly granite and quartz must be looked at to find possible broken or damaged areas.
· Electrical: All receptacles along the kitchen counter should be GFCI protected and any safety issues should be reported on to be repaired. All GFCI protected receptacles need to be tested.
· Floor: A floor in a kitchen area gets a great deal of traffic, is exposed to quite a bit of water, grease and abuse. It's quite common to see vinyl floor coverings which are damaged plus cracked or loose fitting floor tiles
· Walls: The overall condition of the kitchen walls should be reported on.
· Lights: All kitchen lighting fixtures along with switches will be checked
· Windows: The windows should be operated and any deficiently in their condition should be reported on.
· Heat register: The existence or lack of any heat source will be documented.
For more information on the areas of the home that are inspected please take a look at the page Take a walk on a NJ home inspection.
Comments(2)