One of the most important areas for a home inspection is your attic. Potential buyers often overlook this space because it isn’t often seen or used. However, looking at a home’s attic can reveal a lot about the history of the home. Your inspector may find any of the following issues in an attic:

• Dark, discolored rafters: If the rafters are any other color than natural wood, it could be a sign of fire damage.
• Stains on the rafters, walls, or insulation: This can provide evidence that water has leaked or is leaking through the roof.
• Droppings or chewed wires: Attics are perfect environments for possums, rats, birds, and mice.
• Damaged rafters or trusses: Damaged trusses typically are due to poor workmanship when the house was built. Signs can include improper bracing, incorrect loading, overloading, or bad joint connections. When rafters or trusses are damaged or altered, it can affect the structural integrity of the roof.

Also keep in mind the importance of insulation in the attic. Insulation is what helps keeps your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Most homes built before the early 70s followed poor insulation procedures. Spaces or empty cavities in between the insulation are typically to blame for escaping energy. If your house is drafty in the winter or has warm spots in the summer, you may want to confirm that the insulation was applied properly.