Westland Home Inspections for Postwar Neighborhoods

A young city with older houses

Westland only became a city in 1966. Before that it was Nankin Township, and it took its new name from the Westland shopping center that opened in 1965. The houses are a lot older than the name, though. Much of the city's single-family housing is modest one-story homes from the postwar boom of the 1950s, built quickly for families moving out from Detroit. Neighborhoods such as Annapolis Park, platted in the 1950s for Black families who were shut out of other suburbs and now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, are part of that story.

Small houses, big inspection questions

Compact postwar ranches are popular with first-time buyers, which is exactly why a careful inspection matters. Over seventy years, a lot of these homes have had several owners and some do-it-yourself updates. We look for wiring extended beyond what an older service can handle, ungrounded outlets that were swapped for three-prong receptacles, and panels that may need an electrician's opinion. Plumbing in older homes can include galvanized supply lines and cast-iron drains, and we note where we see them.

Inspection scope: For any homeowner, whether you're buying, selling, or simply maintaining your home. Our home inspection is a visual inspection of the home's readily accessible systems and components.

Water, basements, and crawlspaces

Not every Westland house has a full basement. Some sit on crawlspaces or slabs, and each comes with its own set of checks. Where there's a basement, we look at wall cracks, past water lines, the sump crock and pump, and whether the yard slopes water away from the house or toward it. Downspouts that dump right beside the foundation are one of the most common, and cheapest to fix, issues we find in western Wayne County.

Helping buyers and long-time owners

Whether you're buying your first place or have owned your home since the 1980s and want to know what's coming due, we give you a plain-language report with photos and a sense of priority. You'll know what's a safety issue, what's a near-term repair, and what's simply an old house being an old house. If the report turns up small fixes, our light handyman service can take care of many of them.

Services for Westland homes

• ICA certified home inspections
  For any homeowner. A visual inspection of readily accessible systems and components.
• Light handyman
  Inspection-report fixes and punch lists.
• Small engine repair
  Mowers, snowblowers, generators, and more.
• Cleaning coordination
  Move-in and move-out cleans with Cozy & Clean.

Also serving: Livonia · Canton · Plymouth · Farmington Hills · Novi · Redford · Dearborn