Nothing can bring down the appeal and value of a home like beat up walls and drywall along with peeling wallpaper and rotting or bowing window casing, baseboards and crown molding. Many of these items are easy to see for any home seller or buyer and should be taken care of before getting to the home inspection anyway.

Typical problems with a home's interior walls

• Check for peeling, scaling for chipping paint especially on baseboards and window casing where moisture can take its toll
• Stains - Most likely water stains will be visible on ceilings which could be indicative of a greater problem. Grease stains in the kitchen bleed through paint quite easily also and can be remedied with special paints.
• Holes and Soft spots in drywall - Typically problems occur in corners of the room and most often in the lower corners of bathrooms where moisture has taken its toll over the years. Prior patched areas filled with spackle or drywall compound often remain a problem area and should be repaired with drywall and not filled with spackle. Look for areas where door knobs can strike a wall when fully opened as these are typical areas of areas that have been damaged in the past.
• Obviously loose and peeling wallpaper should be replaced.

Problems with Wood Molding and Trim

• Wood trim should be solidly attached and not hanging or tilting out. Especially check chair rail and crown molding.
• Look for rotten baseboards. Many times flooded downstair rooms and bathrooms show signs of soft wood in the baseboards
• Window and Door casing can show large gaps at joints and where they are supposed to be flush with the wall. Window and door trim often are subject to moisture and may show signs of weakness and softness.

Problems with the walls and interior wood trim identified in a home inspection can be handled by the seller or buyer depending on the offer or negotiation for any work that needs done.