How do I check a motel’s rooms and building before buying?

A professional inspection is worth having, but it is better used once you already know the building’s story. Your own walk-through costs nothing and tells you what to point the inspector at. Take a notebook and your phone, go at an ordinary time of day, and ask the seller to open every door. Do not accept a sample of rooms. The unlisted ones often tell you the most.

Every room, every time

See all rooms, including those marked out of order. Look at the beds, mattresses, furniture, flooring and bathrooms, and write down how old each looks. Run the shower, check the heating or cooling unit, and smell for damp. Ask why any room is out of service and what bringing it back would take. Photograph each room so you can compare them later.

The renovation cycle

Ask when rooms were last renovated and in what order. A motel is usually renewed a few rooms at a time, so you may find several different ages under one roof. What matters is what comes next and who pays for it. Match what the seller says against the room-by-room record and the maintenance log. Gaps between the two are worth a polite question.

Outside and shared areas

Walk the exterior doors, walkways, railings, roofs and drainage. Look at the laundry, the sign, the pool if there is one, and the parking lot. These are expensive to repair and easy to overlook on a first visit. Our hotel and motel buyer checklist lists the professional inspections to book after your own visit is done.

What to bring home

• A room-by-room list with notes on age and condition
• Photos of any problem and of the rooms out of order
• The maintenance log and renovation record
• A list of items to point out to your inspector