Professional home inspectors charge $300–$500 to do what you can largely do yourself once a year: walk your property with fresh eyes and catch small problems before they become expensive ones. So what should I check during a yearly home inspection? This room-by-room, inside-and-out checklist covers everything a homeowner should look at annually. Do it every spring — one thorough Saturday — and you’ll catch 90% of issues while they’re still cheap.

Outside: Start at the Curb

Roof (from the ground with binoculars)

  • Missing, cracked, or curling shingles
  • Damaged flashing around chimneys, vents, and skylights
  • Moss or algae growth (treatable, but don’t ignore)
  • Sagging areas (structural — call a roofer promptly)
  • Chimney: cracked mortar, leaning, missing cap

Gutters and drainage

  • Securely attached? Sagging sections? Leaking seams?
  • Downspouts discharging 4+ feet from the foundation
  • Grading: soil should slope away from the foundation (6″ drop in the first 10 feet). This single detail prevents most basement water problems.

Siding, trim, and foundation

  • Cracked, rotted, or loose siding/trim — probe soft spots with a screwdriver
  • Peeling paint (exposed wood rots fast)
  • Foundation cracks: hairline is normal; horizontal cracks, stair-step cracks in block, or cracks you can fit a pencil into warrant a structural engineer
  • Caulk failures around windows, doors, and penetrations

Yard and exterior systems

  • Exterior faucets: run them, check for leaks inside when on
  • Deck: soft boards, loose railings, ledger board attachment
  • Driveway/walkways: trip hazards, major cracks
  • Trees: dead limbs overhanging the house or power lines

What Should I Check During a Yearly Home Inspection? Inside, Room by Room

Attic

  • Daylight through the roof (bad), water stains (bad), proper ventilation (good)
  • Insulation depth — you shouldn’t see joists clearly
  • Signs of pests: droppings, nests, chewed wires
  • Bathroom exhaust fans venting outside (not into the attic — depressingly common)

Basement/crawl space

  • Water stains, efflorescence (white mineral deposits = moisture), musty smell
  • Sump pump: test it
  • Exposed framing: rot, insect damage, mold
  • Foundation walls: new or growing cracks

Every room

  • Ceilings and walls: water stains (trace to the source — roof, plumbing, or HVAC)
  • Windows: operation, locks, seal failures (fog between panes), caulk
  • Doors: latch and close properly? — sticking can signal foundation movement
  • Floors: new squeaks, soft spots, tile cracks
  • Outlets and switches: test a sample; warm outlets are a red flag

Kitchen and bathrooms

  • Under every sink: leaks, moisture, mold
  • Caulk and grout condition at tubs, showers, and backsplashes
  • Toilet: rock it gently — movement means the wax ring/seal needs attention
  • Exhaust fans: working? Venting outside?
  • Appliance hoses: washing machine supply lines (replace every 5 years with braided steel)

Systems

  • HVAC: service schedule here — but annually verify: filter, condensate drain, outdoor unit clearance
  • Water heater: flush sediment, check the anode rod every 2–3 years, look for rust/leaks at the base, verify temperature (120°F)
  • Electrical panel: any breakers that trip regularly? Rust? Buzzing? (Don’t open the panel interior — visual only)
  • Smoke/CO detectors: test, replace batteries, check expiration dates (10-year life)
  • Fire extinguisher: gauge in green, accessible location

Document Everything

Take photos of anything questionable — water stains, cracks, wear. Dated photos let you compare year over year: is that crack growing? Is the stain spreading? This documentation is also gold when selling (shows diligent maintenance) or filing insurance claims. Keep a simple home maintenance log — a notes app or spreadsheet with dates and photos. InterNACHI (the home inspector association) publishes detailed checklists if you want a printable version.

When to Call a Pro Instead

Your yearly walkthrough finds issues; pros diagnose the serious ones. Call specialists for: any structural concern (foundation cracks, sagging), roof problems beyond a few shingles, electrical issues (warm outlets, frequent trips), persistent water intrusion you can’t source, and HVAC problems beyond basic maintenance. The inspection’s job is early detection — a $200 service call now beats a $5,000 repair later.

And don’t forget the easily-missed items — the maintenance tasks everyone forgets pair naturally with this inspection walkthrough.

What Professional Inspectors Actually Do in 90 Minutes

Curious what the $400–$600 professional inspection covers that your walkthrough doesn’t? Understanding their process sharpens your own:

  • They work systems, not rooms. Roof → exterior → structure → electrical → plumbing → HVAC → interior. Systematic, top to bottom, so nothing gets skipped. Adopt this order for your own inspection.
  • The roof gets real attention. Binoculars or drone for steep roofs; walking it when safe. They’re looking for exactly what your checklist covers — but with the experience to distinguish “aging” from “failing.”
  • Electrical panel deep-dive. They remove the panel cover (you shouldn’t) and look for double-tapped breakers, aluminum wiring, scorch marks, and proper labeling. Your version: note the panel brand (certain brands like Federal Pacific/Zinsco are red flags), test AFCIs/GFCIs, and check for warm breakers.
  • They run everything simultaneously. Dishwasher running, showers on, HVAC cycling — stress-testing reveals what idle systems hide: water pressure drops, slow drains, circuits that trip under load.
  • Moisture meters. A $30 pinless moisture meter finds dampness inside walls that eyes can’t see. Worth owning — scan around toilets, under sinks, and below windows during your inspection.
  • The report is the product. Photos, descriptions, and prioritization (safety issues vs. maintenance vs. cosmetic). Write your own inspection up the same way — dated, photographed, prioritized. Future-you will thank present-you.

When to hire a pro despite DIY: before buying (non-negotiable), when selling (pre-listing inspection prevents surprises), and every 5–10 years as a deep check beyond your annual walkthrough. The pro sees what habit blinds you to — and $500 every decade is the cheapest expert second opinion in homeownership.

The Practical Takeaway

A yearly home inspection means walking your property every spring — roof to foundation outside, attic to basement inside — checking for water intrusion, structural changes, system health, and safety devices. Photograph everything questionable for year-over-year comparison, fix small issues immediately, and call pros for structural, electrical, or persistent water problems. One Saturday a year, zero dollars, and you transform homeownership from reactive crisis management into calm, planned maintenance. The house takes care of you exactly as well as you take care of it.