For buyers
Pre-purchase home inspection checklist for Jacksonville and Eastern North Carolina.
A buyer’s inspection is a visual look at the accessible parts of the house, with photos. It is not a pass from the county, and it is not a warranty. It is the list you use before you own the repairs.
What buyers should look for
These are the areas that change the price of a house in Onslow and Carteret counties, and in the surrounding counties. The full inspection covers each of them. Come to the inspection if you can. Hearing it in the house is clearer than reading it later.
Tell the seller to clear the way
Have your agent ask the seller to clear the way before the visit. Clear the attic hatch, the crawlspace door, the electrical panel, the water heater, and the air handler. Move storage from the attic service platform, and away from those doors and panels. Unlock gates and any outbuilding that should be included. The report includes only what the inspector can reach, and a space that stays blocked is left out of the report.
Roof
Covering, flashing, and the boots where pipes and vents come through. The roof is inspected with a high-definition drone, not by walking it. That keeps the shingles from being blamed on the inspection, and it still shows damaged covering and worn penetrations.
Crawlspace and structure
In Eastern North Carolina, the expensive surprises are often under the house. Wood, insulation, and moisture are checked where they are visible. Standing water, a torn vapor barrier, or a musty crawlspace is not a small note.
Electrical panel
The panel is opened, photographed, and scanned. Thermal imaging, included on every full inspection, is used to find circuits that are overheating. A closed door and a flashlight will miss that.
HVAC
Type, age, and whether the system that is installed actually heats and cools. Condensate that dumps in the attic or the crawlspace is a moisture problem, not a comfort problem.
Plumbing and water heater
Visible supply and waste lines, fixtures, and the water heater. Age matters. A tank that is already past a normal life is a cost you can price before you own it.
Water around the house
Soil that slopes toward the foundation, gutters that dump at the wall, and siding or windows that are already taking on water. Coastal rain finds the low spot.
Attic
Rafters or trusses, the underside of the roof, and the insulation that is actually there. Thermal imaging is also used to find missing insulation and hidden moisture, then a moisture meter checks a suspected leak.
Inside the house
Floors, walls, ceilings, doors, and windows. Stains, soft floors, and doors that do not close are written down with photos, not waved off as cosmetic.
What you do with the report
The Spectora report is ready the same day or the next day. It is photos and plain findings you can send your agent. Sample reports show the format.
Inside that report, the repair request builder turns the items you care about into one list. You choose the order, add a note, and create the request from the findings instead of retyping them.
As a courtesy, Cody will look over replies from the seller or the builder so a repair request does not get watered down by a vague or misleading answer. Weekends are available, but ask for one by phone.
The panel has its own page if that is the part of the house you are worried about. What buyers and sellers should know about the electrical panel.
No-obligation pricing
Get the list before you own the house.
Takes less than a minute.