What Gets Inspected On An Apartment Or Townhouse Condominium?
Apartment or townhouse condominiums in buildings with five or more units are unique properties in the world of home inspections. The Massachusetts standards of practice apply to residential buildings with 1-4 living units, so these larger properties are outside the standards of practice. What is an inspector to do? At Metro Boston Property Inspections, Inc., we inspect the systems that are specific to the unit and observe other common areas that may have a direct impact on your ownership of the property.
In the unit, our inspection includes, but is not limited to:
- The electrical system, distribution panel, lights, switches, outlets, GFCI and AFCI protection
- The plumbing system, sinks, toilets, tubs, showers, supply pipes, waste pipes, vent pipes, shut off valves
- If the heating/cooling in the unit responds to the thermostat
- If the unit has an individual heating/cooling system, we will inspect the condenser, furnace, air handler, blower, heating/cooling source in the rooms
- Walls, ceilings, and floors
- Function and condition of windows
- Function and condition of doors
- Cooktop, oven, operation of microwave, presence, installation, and operation of garbage disposal, vent hood, dishwasher
- Any storage area associated with the unit
In addition, we want to observe and identify:
- The utility room where the main electrical disconnect to the unit is located
- The utility room where the main water disconnect is located
- For common cooling systems, the location of the chiller or cooling tower
- For common heating systems the location of the main heating plant
- The presence of a fire suppression systems
- A representative number of emergency light fixtures
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