If you’re planning a home inspection or currently trying to wrap your head around the report, it’s normal to feel a bit overwhelmed. Even brand new construction is guaranteed to have imperfections. A report without any flags is unheard of — the challenge is understanding which ones are minor issues and which ones should give you pause (and factor into your offer).
The right path forward will depend heavily on what you’re comfortable taking on as a homeowner, but it’s smart to be aware of which systems are likely to cause headaches and expensive problems as they reach the end of their life. As you navigate all the dense and anxiety-provoking details, here are the top 5 issues we hope you won’t overlook.
Before we dive into the clarity, here’s a little more confusion: your home inspection report will contain objective information about the age of appliances and fixtures relative to their life expectancy, but it can’t always tell you how well they were (or weren’t) maintained.
Licensed home inspectors have a strict set of guidelines they use to assess the state of the systems in your home. This is great in that it protects you from trying to make sense of someone’s mere opinion, but it doesn’t account for all of the factors that impact the lifespan of those systems. A 15-year-old HVAC system could be in the prime of its life if the previous owner cared about energy efficiency, or on its last leg if they never changed the filter.
If you are in doubt about the state of a specific feature of the home, it can pay dividends to follow up your general home inspection by hiring a specialist to assess it. Now, we digress…
A damaged roof can cause a cascade of problems, both in the future and during the homebuying process. If your inspector identifies issues, it can be difficult to obtain insurance, which, in turn, may make it difficult to obtain a loan.
If your report mentions water damage or the roof is over 15 years old, it’s unwise to buy that home unless you’re prepared to replace it in the very near future. If you choose to go forward, get a trustworthy estimate and make sure the purchase price reflects the fact that you’ll probably be making an expensive investment soon.
Foundation issues can be a bit nuanced, since it’s normal for houses to settle as they age. Some wear and tear shouldn’t alarm you, but cracks in the foundation, bowed supports, or evidence of standing water in the crawl space should.
If your inspector notices rot or other issues in the main girder, you’ll likely be looking at extensive renovations sooner rather than later. If this possibility fills you with dread, it may be best to move on. If you’re up to the challenge, just make sure you’re comfortable with the price of the home.
Prone to breaking down when you need it most and expensive to replace, the HVAC system is a big consideration when buying a home. While some parts of a house are at the mercy of the elements and local climate, the lifespan of an HVAC unit is heavily impacted by the stewardship of the previous owners.
Pay close attention to the parts of your home inspection report that mention specific HVAC components, especially the diffuser and the fan. When in doubt, get an independent HVAC professional to take a closer look — it can save you from overpaying for a home, and it’s a great way to establish a trust-based relationship with a local technician if you’re moving to a new area.
Electrical faults account for more than 50,000 house fires each year. Needless to say, the quality of a home’s electrical system is about more than making sure your appliances get power, so don’t gloss over this piece of your home inspection.
If your inspection indicates that the home doesn’t have ground wire built in, or it has fuses (circular plugs in the breaker box) rather than breakers (toggles or switches), it’s a sign that the electrical system is, at the very least, really old. Modern appliances trying to draw power from antique wiring is a recipe for disaster, so prospective buyers should plan to replace it for safety reasons.
As long as the seller is willing to account for the expense of rewiring the home, it could be a great fit for a buyer who doesn’t need everything to be perfectly turn-key. If they hold firm on the asking price, however, you may need to walk away.
This one is too specific not to be attached to trauma. Though they fell out of popularity in the 80s, some older construction still features polybutylene pipes.
The issue is two-fold: polybutylene pipes are known for getting pinprick leaks that can lead to expensive widespread damage, but even if they don't, they are almost certainly nearing the end of their useful life.
The cost of a total replacement can be figured into your offer unless you’re considering a slab on grade house. In this situation, the home’s concrete foundation has been poured around the pipes, and there is no way to access them without a complete tear down. Assuming that isn’t what you intend to sign up for, this is one home inspection flag we would consider unsalvageable.
Most people only go through the home inspection process as prospective buyers, but we would recommend it for anyone who had to forgo this step to make a competitive offer, as well as anyone who has been in their home for a long time.
A home inspection is a valuable, neutral opinion offered by someone who isn’t trying to sell you anything. Your report is a great way to get a detailed look at the condition of your home, understand what you need to start saving for, and even qualify contractors’ assessments and estimates. A great inspector will be willing to go over your report and answer questions — some may even allow you to shadow them during parts of the inspection.
If you’re apprehensive about deciding how to interpret the inspector’s findings, Home Repair Lab can help. We offer anyone who has completed our Home Fundamentals class a free home inspection report review session. Book yours, and we’ll help you separate the big problems from the small ones.
We get it. Let’s hop on a quick call to help you feel confident about your next step.
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