Buying a home is an important decision, and you want to make sure you have a full understanding of a home's condition before you buy it. And to help you gain this knowledge, you can and should hire a professional home inspection prior to closing on the home. Here are some important areas of recommendation for your upcoming home inspection and what you should look at with the inspection report to watch out for serious problems.

Check Out the Attic and Roof

The roof on a home is its first line of defense against the sun and weather, and it is one of the main areas on a home that is going to show signs of damage and age. Your home inspector should access the roof's surface to complete their inspection unless it is not safe to do so. If, for example, the roof is covered in snow and ice, they will not be able to inspect the roof's surface because it will not be visible.

In this type of situation, they can check out the areas of the roof that can be accessed by a ladder from the side of the roof's surface. They should check out the flashing to make sure it is attached and not missing or bent, and look to make sure any visible shingles are not curled or cracked. Your home inspector can also complete an inspection of your roof from inside the attic by looking for any signs of moisture leaks and damage. If the home has a chimney, they can also look for signs of moisture leaks between where the chimney and roof connect.

Look For Foundation and Drainage Problems

Another area of importance on a home is its foundation and the exterior drainage around it. The foundation will sit within the soil surrounded by the home's landscaping, which can put it at risk of oversaturation from a heavy rainstorm, rapid snowmelt in the spring, poor roof drainage, or a high water table in the soil.

For this reason, your home inspector can provide you a great service by thoroughly inspecting the drainage around the home's foundation. They will look at the slope of the soil next to your home's foundation to ensure it slopes away from the home to allow water to follow the same path. The roof drainage that exits from the downspouts should be diverted away from the home foundation by anywhere from five to ten feet for the best results. Also, a thorough inspection of the interior basement can help you determine if the home has moisture intrusion or cracks in the foundation.