Interior
Rooms, surfaces and moisture
Interior work is mostly careful observation and clear description. Note cracks, stains, sloping floors, doors that no longer latch, and paint or caulk failures - these are clues about movement or moisture. A crack should be described by location, width and direction rather than labeled "structural" or "settling." Dark staining on a ceiling under a bathroom, or bubbling paint on a wall, points to an upstairs plumbing or roof leak that needs a specialist. Condensation between panes means a failed window seal; condensation on interior glass in winter suggests high indoor humidity.
Egress and life safety
A sleeping room needs an emergency escape opening with at least 5.7 square feet of clear area, minimum width 20 inches and height 24 inches, with a sill no higher than 44 inches above the floor. A window well needs a ladder if its depth exceeds 44 inches. Smoke alarms belong in each bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level; carbon monoxide alarms near sleeping areas wherever there is a fuel-burning appliance or attached garage.
Stairs and separation
Check stair headroom, uniform riser heights, handrail continuity and graspability, guard height and baluster spacing. The door from an attached garage to the house should be solid or rated and self-closing, and the garage floor should be lower or curbed to keep spills out. Dryer vents must terminate outdoors in smooth metal duct, never in the attic.
Worked example
A bedroom window measures 24 inches wide by 34 inches tall with a 40-inch sill: width, height and sill all comply, but 24 × 34 = 816 square inches, or 5.67 square feet, falls just under the 5.7 threshold. Report it as an egress concern.