Living Room Inspection: A Checklist for Savvy Homebuyers

The living room is where we spend about 50% of our awake time, and for our guests, it’s close to 100%. That may be why homebuyers prefer to have their own living room inspection when checking out a new house.

In this post, you’ll find a handy living room inspection checklist for viewing a house for the first time, along with helpful questions to ask when accompanying an inspector in this area. Let’s begin.

What Is a Living Room Inspection?

Let’s start with the basics: what’s a living room inspection? In short, it’s a careful examination of the living room's condition to ensure it’s safe and well-maintained.

For a homebuyer walkthrough (before submitting an offer or hiring an inspector), it means visually checking the walls, floors, ceiling, windows, and built-in features for damage, cleanliness, and overall functionality. While professionals go further by testing “everything” and looking for underlying issues you might miss like electrical or structural concerns.

Living Room Inspection Checklist

Here’s a checklist to help you find readily observable issues during your viewing:

Walls and Ceilings

• Check: Walls for cracks (especially hairline cracks which can indicate settling), water stains (signs of leaks), loose or bubbling paint (moisture problems), holes or damage.
• Look for: Signs of recent repairs like mismatched paint or patching that don’t quite match. Shine a flashlight along the walls at a low angle to see imperfections more easily.

Tip: During a living room inspection, anything covering the walls (furniture, paintings, wallpaper) could hide signs of a defect.

Floors

• Check: Flooring for looseness or unevenness, significant wear and tear, stains, and squeaks. Inspect around baseboards for signs of water damage too.
• Look for: Bulges on the flooring that signal water issues. Tap on the floor in different spots and listen carefully; hollow or spongy sounds indicate rot or termites.

Windows and Doors

• Check: Windows for cracks in the glass, smooth opening and closing, proper sealing, and fogging (could mean a seal is broken or there's a moisture problem). Check doors for sticking, proper latching, and drafts.
• Look for: Outdated windows and worn weather stripping that increase energy costs.

Outlets and Switches

• Check: Bring a phone charger and test all outlets and switches. Look for loose wiring, frayed cords, and too few or too many outlets in the area.
• Look for: Old electrical systems (Click here to learn how to detect an outdated system). Also, examine outlets to ensure they don’t feel warm or have discoloration around them.

Heating, Cooling, and Ventilation

• Check: During your living room inspection, locate heating vents, radiators, or air conditioning units and check for cleanliness, functionality, and blockage.
• Look for: Musty odors in the air that could suggest poor ventilation or hidden mold.

Built-in Features

• Check: Bookshelves, cabinets, and other features for stability and functionality. Open and close all drawers or doors to see if they jam or don’t close properly.
• Look for: Loose connections or poor construction. If there’s a ceiling fan, make sure it works fine and doesn’t wobble.

Fireplace

• Check: Fireplace for cracks in the masonry, damage to the firebox, damper condition, and soot buildup (implying incomplete combustion).
• Look for: Creosote buildup and signs of water damage in the surrounding area.

Apart from having a checklist, your overall impression is also important. Is it well-maintained? Does it feel structurally sound? Do you find consistency between its condition and the rest of the house? If something feels off, trust your gut and plan for further investigation.

Useful Living Room Inspection Questions

Let’s assume you liked the house in the first viewing, and now you want to accompany your inspector during the assessment (which is highly recommended). In this case, what are some helpful questions you can ask them? This list can give you an idea:

• What are your biggest concerns so far?
• What's the likely cost to repair/replace this item?
• How serious is this problem?
• Are there any immediate safety hazards or urgent repairs?
• What are essential maintenance tips for this system/component?
• What is the next step?

The Bottom Line

This guide provides a solid foundation for your living room inspection. However, professional inspection is invaluable.

Explore the best inspectors in your region at Houmse (and get free quotes) for a stress-free experience, and share your inspection stories/tips in the comments below. Good luck!