What are some good outward signs of a well built house?

[Roger Feeley]

My son-in-laws niece and her fiancé are looking at houses. They’ve been asking me questions and I can help some. But I bet you good people could come up with better advice.

Are there any tricks to spotting a well built house that you can see on a walk-through?

[Mike Soaper]

From the outside I would look at the roof for sagging between the trusses/rafters which to me indicates either the trusses might be pushing being too far apart, or the sheathing is too thin for the space between the trusses/rafters. That said, it still might meet code.

If it has vinyl siding (some might argue that a well built house would not have vinyl siding) check that the siding lays flat and is not wavy.

On the inside check to see how much the floor bounces when someone walks across it with a heavy foot.

Maybe take a look at the plumbing fixtures and brands to get a sense of inexpensive builder/big box house brand, middle of the road functional , and fancy/top of the line paying for style

[Mike Kees]

I always figured that I would not buy a house that I had not seen when it was being framed. As a carpenter I can spot sub-par framing driving by from my truck window. Way tougher to tell after things are finished. Take a level along and check walls for plumb ,see if doors close nice and do not swing by themselves. The other advice would be to find an older experienced realtor who knew the good builders in the era and area the house was built in. The furnace room will be an indication if the electrical and plumbing look good that would be an indication of a G.C. who cared about quality. Does the house look quality ? Windows and doors are another clue,a better builder will use better windows. if the kitchen and baths look cheap you can almost bet that money was saved where you can not see.

[Bill Dufour]

If it is not too old look at the roof. Is it the cheapest single layer shingles or something better. Did they use metal flashing in the valleys. I am sure there is a way to spot cheap gutters and downspouts from the street.
Bil lD

[Doug Garson]

I've heard a marble is an easy way to check floors or countertops for level. Probably less effective on carpeted floors..

[Stan Calow]

I look for foundation cracks. They're almost inevitable in older houses, but if the house is newer they shouldn't be there. If you have an unfinished basement I look up and see what size/type of rafters they used and if the HVAC, plumbing & electrical are neat and not jumbled together or done amateurly.

[Thomas McCurnin]

Roof: Does it look straight? Any noticeable signs of stained drywall on any ceiling? Signs of a leak.

Electrical. 200am service minimum. Are there any spare breakers for growth, or will the buyer have to install a subpanel. Test some breakers by turning them on and off. Are they spongey? If so, the breakers may need replacement. If the panel is Zinzco, then there is a panel change in the buyer's future. Bring along one of those pocket three prong outlet testers and test a few in the kitchen and bath. Count outlets per room. Now, they like them every 12 feet, because most cords are limited to six feet.

Plumbing. Of course, run the shower and flush a toilet. Yes, the shower volume will go down, but it shouldn't force the shower taker to run out of the shower. Run hot water. How much time until it gets hot? What size tank if its a tank-type. Bonus for Tankless.

Internet, TV etc. Where does the cable terminate and is there room for a modem, router and switch and perhaps a UPS (e.g., an electrical outlet nearby)

AC. I wouldn't buy a house without AC, even in Minnesota. How many zones? The more the merrier.

Laundry. Convenient and good dryer exhaust? Usually not more than a six foot dryer exhaust, unless there is a booster fan.

That's all I can think of on the fly.

[Pete Costa]

Lots of good advice above.


In addition to the points on settling raised by other members, you can also look for drywall cracks or seams opening. A little is not unusual, but be wary if you see more than that. Cracked tile and/or grout is another warning sign.

Look for signs of moisture in the basement, not just on the floor but also the walls - water stains on finished walls or efflorescence (white powder) on concrete or block. Also look for water leak stains on all the ceilings. It will often look like a brownish area, generaly deliniated by a darker brown line

Outside make sure the water easily drains away from the house and gutters are well maintained. If water has been trapped near the walls too often, there may be serious damage that will be hard to see.

If its part of a development put in at the same time, ask some of the neighbors about issues they've had with their houses.

Some other things to consider will depend on the age of the house.
In general, insulation, and more importantly air sealing, have on average been getting better over the past few decades. A copy of the past few utility bills can be quite useful

Much older homes can have amazing details, but wiring can be a big concern, as well as lead paint.

Utilities like the heating, AC, hot water, etc have varying lifespans, depending on the initial quality. You can generaly get a date off of the manufacture plate, but more importantly, look at the condition - rusted, dusty, evidemce of leaks?

Most importantly, when they make an offer on a house, get a thorough set of inspections by a very reputable group of inspectors. The buyer's agent will recomend some, and they may be great, but remember that the agent makes money by getting sales to close quickly and their inspectors rely on referals from those agents

[Mel Fulks]

A roof design that does not make you think you once saw it playing a mountain range in a movie.

[Mel Fulks]

If it has dormers ...they should be a vertical ,narrow ,pleasing design. NOT a tool shed stuck on your roof.

[Rob Luter]

That's kind of like asking what are the outward signs of a well prepared meal. You need to do a deeper dive. It depends on the era of construction too. Was it a one off custom build or a tract home? Look at window quality, the HVAC system, the appliance grade, and the plumbing. These four things can tell you a lot about what he builder had in mind.

[Roger Feeley]

That's kind of like asking what are the outward signs of a well prepared meal. You need to do a deeper dive.

Rob,
you couldn’t be more right which is why I asked. Most of what I know and many of the replies here are about spotting flaws. And those are all very valuable. Im wondering about things that would give the buyer a sense of confidence that the unseen parts of the house are done well. As you point out, that’s hard.

metal roof valleys is something to look for.
our house was custom built for us. The builder used square D QO breakers which are a step up.
does the house have individual shut offs under the sinks and such.
look for tight joints in the trim work with little filler.

[Alan Rutherford]

That's kind of like asking what are the outward signs of a well prepared meal.....

Yes. I like to think I know it when I see it, but can't always say what it is. In an empty house, the kitchen cabinets are the most visible indicator. If the house is in a development and had to compete on price, you can assume it was not overbuilt.

The number of exterior corners is a sign of the quality and price point the house was intended for. Corners are expensive. Just picture the difference between a simple rectangular house and one with an 8 x 8 entrance, a sun room, bay windows, etc. You still don't know how well it was built but you know it cost more to build it.

I haven't looked in someone else's toilet tank lately, but AFAIK the date of manufacture is still molded into the inside of the tank. That will usually be close to the date the house was built if there's any doubt about that.

[Jim Becker]

That's kind of like asking what are the outward signs of a well prepared meal. You need to do a deeper dive. It depends on the era of construction too. Was it a one off custom build or a tract home? Look at window quality, the HVAC system, the appliance grade, and the plumbing. These four things can tell you a lot about what he builder had in mind.

This. Appearances can be, and often are, deceiving. You can be sure that most houses on the market have been prepared to present well, too. Only a deep inspection by a qualified resource (or two) will get you some reasonable assurance of how things are. But as Rob mentions, there are some general indicators that can be considered, especially on newer homes that may not have had a lot changed since they were built.

[Stan Calow]

A roof design that does not make you think you once saw it playing a mountain range in a movie.

A curse on builders who make unnecessary design features that they think are trendy but have no practical value except adding to repair and replacement costs. Every roof penetration is an opportunity for a leak.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

I remember being sort of shocked when I moved from PA to Virginia and saw that many builders and contractors did not use drip edge along the roof edges. In Pa it was always used. Were shingle woven together at a valley or was metal flashing used. Make sure the exterior grade drops away for the house for at least 10 ft and that the house sill is at least 12 inches above exterior grade. I have seen houses were the exterior grade was filled in against the siding. A sure way to rot out the load bearing walls, If part of the house extends out over the foundation, is it insulated and sealed against vermin. (Knew a fellow that had skunks in his basement constantly, until the first winter when he could feel the wind rushing into his basement. The contractor never sealed the overhang. Signs of a dehumifier in the basement. Does the basement have windows to the outside and an exterior entrance? Knew a person that did not want a basement door or exit. Considered it burglar bait. Yeah well when a hurricane came through and flooded his basement and all the sopping wet stuff from the basement needed to be carried through the first floor he found out. ( I figure if somebody wants to break in, the kitchen door is usually the easiest to pry open.) When his house was burglarized a few years later, the thieves just through a patio chair through the sliding glass doors from the kitchen to the deck..

[Adam Herman]

jump on the floor and see if it bounces.

does it appear that care was taken when the doors were installed, do they seal well, open and close properly. slam an outside door, does the picture in the next room rattle? look at the other houses in the neighbor hood and talk to a neighbor about any issues with their house.

[Michael J Evans]

All I will say is have more than one inspection done. We bought our first home last year, went with a well reviewed (like 500, 4+ star reviews) Inspector who was above average in cost and still got burned. Come to find out we have / had (been eradicated) Carpenter ant infestation. Some dry rot on siding and leaking windows (which still need fixed), plus a plethora of other things not noted.

Next home we buy, I will be hiring at least two inspectors.

[Thomas McCurnin]

The buyer's agent will recomend some, and they may be great, but remember that the agent makes money by getting sales to close quickly and their inspectors rely on referals from those agents

+1 It is in the Agents' best interest that defects not be found or disclosed and the sale goes through smoothly. I would hesitate on using any inspector recommended by any of the Agents. Find your own inspector.

[mike stenson]

You should have a general inspector, and one from pretty much every trade you're concerned with. Personally I go with at least a roofer, and an HVAC guy at pretty much minimum (if there's a fireplace a chimney sweep).. if anyone has seen anything suspect with any other mechanical item, that should have someone from that trade look at it.

Otherwise it really depends on where you are. For instance, in Tucson if there isn't any evidence of past termites the house is either new.. or someone is slacking. It'll also depend on the building style, ie looking at a stick framed house is different than a masonry, adobe, or even balloon framed house. There are really just a whole lot of variables. Although, I think my personal favorite was mushroom growing from the eaves of a house (in the desert), that's a pretty sure sign of a serious roof leak.

[mike stenson]

+1 It is in the Agents' best interest that defects not be found or disclosed and the sale goes through smoothly. I would hesitate on using any inspector recommended by any of the Agents. Find your own inspector.

If you're encountering this, it's not only unethical, it's illegal in many areas. You should report them.

[Roger Feeley]

Adam,
good suggestions.

That made me think of something else. Someone stands by the back door with it just ajar but still sealed. The other one sort of pumps the front door. Does the back door move? My in-laws house was sealed like a submarine. If the door to the garage was open, I could rattle the garage door by moving the front door.

[Roger Feeley]

You should have a general inspector, and one from pretty much every trade you're concerned with. Personally I go with at least a roofer, and an HVAC guy at pretty much minimum (if there's a fireplace a chimney sweep).. if anyone has seen anything suspect with any other mechanical item, that should have someone from that trade look at it.

Otherwise it really depends on where you are. For instance, in Tucson if there isn't any evidence of past termites the house is either new.. or someone is slacking. It'll also depend on the building style, ie looking at a stick framed house is different than a masonry, adobe, or even balloon framed house. There are really just a whole lot of variables. Although, I think my personal favorite was mushroom growing from the eaves of a house (in the desert), that's a pretty sure sign of a serious roof leak.

I already suggested using a team of inspectors.
— we hire the inspectors, never the agent
— general inspector who is certified
— structural engineer
— foundation/drainage company if I am the least bit suspicious of water issues
— roofer
— HVAC
— fireplace/chimney
— termite...
— sprinkler company if applicable

A lot of these guys will come out for little or no money. I make it clear to them that if there is work to be done, they will certainly have the opportunity to bid on the job. When there was work, the inspectors (like the roofer) often got the job.

I advised the couple that there is an inspection window and it’s their right to have anyone they want. We had some friends who let the realtor hire the inspector. They were in love with the house and were crossing their fingers that the inspector wouldn’t find anything. They have had nothing but trouble.

[mike stenson]

Yea, I suppose we're pretty fortunate.. I've been a carpenter.. and well, our realtor is a friend of ours. You're also correct, most trades will do the inspection for next to nothing because they want any potential work.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

My son-in-laws niece and her fiancé are looking at houses. They’ve been asking me questions and I can help some. But I bet you good people could come up with better advice.

Are there any tricks to spotting a well built house that you can see on a walk-through?

Look at the property history. How many times has it sold, and who was it sold to. Were any of them flippers?

Look at the permit history with the local building official. Does it look like substantial work has been done without permits.

These are not necessarily what you are looking for, but are easy ways to know if you need to look deeper.

In terms of picking an inspector, I think if you do not trust your real estate agent you should not trust them to pick the inspector. On the other hand, if you do not know anybody it can be hard to find somebody reliable yourself.

I would definitely do the inspection with the inspector. Walk through, ask questions, get answers. Do not just let them do it and send you a report.

[Stephen Tashiro]

Are there any tricks to spotting a well built house that you can see on a walk-through?

Start with generalities before doing a walk-through. Find out the year when the house was constructed. Learn about the types of problems that houses from that era have.

For example, if you buy house built in the 1960's, it may have cast iron sewer lines that have deteriorated. Nice carpet may cover old floor tile that contains asbestos. It might have a breaker box made by Federal Pacific. It might only have 100 AMP electrical service.

[Jim Matthews]

I have followed this thread with some interest, although I have more than 6 years lead time to search for our next (presumably last) house.

I would suggest that if the driveway is crumbling, that's a strong indication if other deferred repairs.

Standing next to the cleanout plug to the septic field or sewer - flush the highest toilet in the house. Any clanging or banging indicates something rattling loose in the drainage "stack".

Have a look at the siding near the ground, on the darkest side of the house. Mold or green algae blooming indicates poor ventilation. I would suspect any sheathing that's wet most of the year to fail.

As mentioned above, use a level at arm's length to sight the corners and roofline for plumb and square.

Zillow can tell you how often a house has been listed and relisted another strong indicator that the owner has been trying to unload the property. Multiple relistings, with different realtors points to a property that is difficult to close.

[Mike Soaper]

For an initial walk thru for quality you might also take a look at

The interior doors, are they a light hollow core?, solid wood? pine? something better?
How does the door trim look, a plain clamshell? or something with more details,
Also get a sense of the door hardware quality, do the knobs feel lightweight or substantial?

Take a look at the trim work
Is it fingerjointed and does it show thru the paint or is it nice and smooth?

Does the height of the baseboard seem right or too short.
Are there a lots of trim splices on the baseboards? or only a few in the entire house?


We once went to a "parade" of homes by builders trying to showcase their work. One that comes to mind was in general a nicely built home. However, it was late in the day, the sun was low, and was shining across a large 2 story wall. You could easily see where every sheetrock seam and screw head had been mudded over because of the differences in texture of the mud and sheetrock.

I wondered if they would had either skim coated the wall or had used a better primer if the wall would have looked impressive instead of patched up.

[Scott Winners]

I find myself looking at floor construction first. My wife and I intend to retire into our next home, and neither of us have a goal of moving into a nursing home. Powered wheel chairs (which neither of us use today) can weigh hundreds of pounds empty.

300# chair + 100# person may not be able to move around on a wood framed floor at all for say ten years or so, but it is out of the question in our current 1980 suburban build.

I am OK with the math using single 2x10 floor joists on 24" centers instead of 2x8 joists on 16" centers, I can do beam calculations; but I like double layer 3/4" tongue and groove plywood subfloors, and I feel like the subfloor is more stable over 16" spans instead of 24" spans.

Our current home is 2x10 joists on 24" centers with single layer 3/4" subfloor, not tongue and groove. I never have liked it. Our current home was designed for wall to wall carpeting and we have very few other flooring options to choose from. The entire home was built just well enough to meet code, but coming up on its 40th birthday this year there may not be a single sqaure and true corner in the entire building. A bit of "lived in" is OK, I really like the vibe of homes built in the 1920s.

I agree foundation drainage is fundamental to a lasting building. It doesn't matter how well the house is built; if it is sitting in a puddle it is going to rot.

Likewise the roofing. It doesn't matter how well the building was made; if the rook leaks or was allowed to leak there is going to be rot or mold or mildew or something. An out of square roof was either poorly built in the first place, or there is going to be water damage.

I run hot and cold on air sealing. When our home was built vapor barrier was the latest thing, but hats over jiffy boxes on exterior walls wasn't a thing yet. If you want a tupper ware home that has a good tight air seal and a favorable air door test, I personally would require an HRV system for indoor air quality maintenance. With filters that can be cleaned, not filters that can only be replaced. Some days I would rather just run the woodstove a little hotter and have more air turnovers in the house envelope.

It is possible to build a poor house on an excellent site, but it is not possible to build an excellent (lasting) house on a poor site.

[Mike Wilkins]

Inside look at the walls above the doors for signs of cracks in the drywall-a possible indicator of foundation settling or floor rot.
Same with the brick veneer on the exterior-cracks can mean settling or foundation problems.
If gutters are present, look at the end of the downspout for an excessive amount of shingle granules, an indicator of excessive roof shingle wear and age.
If you can access the crawlspace, look for water damage under the wet rooms-bathrooms and kitchen. I worked for 25 years as an insurance claims rep, and I saw my share of rotted subfloors from moisture and water damage; I just finished repairing my own home for similar damage.
The last tip is my opinion only; don't rely on home inspectors to find any damage to a potential home sale. Remember they are hired by the realtor who wants to make a sale. I have seen homes that were recently purchased with damages that were not obvious to unknowing home buyers, and were left with expensive repairs that an insurance company will not pay for.

that were recently purchased

[Anuj Prateek]

My son-in-laws niece and her fiancé are looking at houses. They’ve been asking me questions and I can help some. But I bet you good people could come up with better advice.

Are there any tricks to spotting a well built house that you can see on a walk-through?

I will play the devil.

If one has to ask, chances are one won't be able to identify the gaps in house. Hire a reputed house inspector and they should be able to provide good assessment. Inspection costs money so some sanity test does help.

We recently bought a house. If we really LOVED the house we got inspection done right away.

In cases where we just liked (not loved) the house, we looked for these before asking for inspection.
- Thick new paint
- If not recently painted then condition of paint
- Moss on roof
- Condition of yard
- Windows - updated or old
- Doors - updated or old
- Obvious DIY projects in house - and - done not well
- Condition of flooring
- Condition of appliances
- If rented, then history - frequenc
- Past sale history
- Any construction without permit

Essentially, we were looking at houses that were maintained well by owners. If we liked a house that was well maintained, we got inspection done. If house showed obvious signs of neglect, we skipped it.

At the end we paid maybe 2.5k more overall (inspection cost). In all cases we would not have caught what inspector caught.

[Bill Dufour]

I remember years ago tips on buying a car. Turn on the radio and check the preset stations. Back then if it was hard rock or country the car was driven hard and not maintained. Classical or news radio it was driven carefully and maintained. Today include rap in the driven hard and not maintained group. I suppose in a house you could see if they have favorites programed into the tv. Bu kids watch tv without a parent controlling the stations like in a car.
Bil lD

[Brian Elfert]

I remember years ago tips on buying a car. Turn on the radio and check the preset stations. Back then if it was hard rock or country the car was driven hard and not maintained. Classical or news radio it was driven carefully and maintained. Today include rap in the driven hard and not maintained group. I suppose in a house you could see if they have favorites programed into the tv. Bu kids watch tv without a parent controlling the stations like in a car.

As a home seller I would not be happy if a potential buyer was turning on my TV and looking at what TV channels I watch. The TV does not stay with the house so the buyer has no business turning it on. A car is different because the buyer usually gets the radio with the car.

I never password protected my computer before I sold my first house. I added a password to be no one was snooping in my computer.

[Brian Elfert]

The last tip is my opinion only; don't rely on home inspectors to find any damage to a potential home sale. Remember they are hired by the realtor who wants to make a sale. I have seen homes that were recently purchased with damages that were not obvious to unknowing home buyers, and were left with expensive repairs that an insurance company will not pay for.

Where do you live that a home buyer has to use an inspector offered by the realtor? Sure, a lot of buyers do use the inspector recommended by the realtor, but in Minnesota at least there is no requirement to use any certain inspector. Realtors want you to use their inspectors because their inspectors often have an incentive not to wreck a sale if they want future business from recommendations.

I most certainly did not use the realtor's inspector when I bought my house. I used an inspection company that is well known locally for doing through inspections. My house was a wreck when I bought it. I only had an inspection done to be sure I didn't miss a major structural issue. The inspector only found one issue I didn't already know about, but it wasn't enough to cancel the sale.

[Brian Elfert]

Mot of the posters in this thread would never be able to buy a house in decent neighborhoods in the city of Minneapolis. Houses there are still getting multiple offers on the first or second day they are on the market. In some cases the houses go on the market in the morning and are sold by dinner time. If a house hasn't sold within a week potential buyers would start to wonder what is wrong with it. You're not going to have time for all kinds of research before making an offer if you want the house.

If you need to bring in ten different contractors and a structural engineer to evaluate a house you probably need to build your own house so you know it is done right. There are builders out there who build very nice houses, but they won't be cheap and they'll probably have a waiting list of a year or more.

I don't know where you're going to find many existing houses with double layers of 3/4" flooring. My brother is building his own house with just a single layer of flooring and the floor is as solid as a rock. The flooring is glued and nailed/screwed.

[mike stenson]

Mot of the posters in this thread would never be able to buy a house in decent neighborhoods in the city of Minneapolis. Houses there are still getting multiple offers on the first or second day they are on the market. In some cases the houses go on the market in the morning and are sold by dinner time. If a house hasn't sold within a week potential buyers would start to wonder what is wrong with it. You're not going to have time for all kinds of research before making an offer if you want the house.

If you need to bring in ten different contractors and a structural engineer to evaluate a house you probably need to build your own house so you know it is done right. There are builders out there who build very nice houses, but they won't be cheap and they'll probably have a waiting list of a year or more.

I don't know where you're going to find many existing houses with double layers of 3/4" flooring. My brother is building his own house with just a single layer of flooring and the floor is as solid as a rock. The flooring is glued and nailed/screwed.


Ummm literally every time I've bought a house I made the offer, IF it was accepted THEN the inspection period started. It's the same as the agent hiring an inspector. They've ALWAYS been paid by ME, so I am the client.

[Brian Elfert]

Ummm literally every time I've bought a house I made the offer, IF it was accepted THEN the inspection period started. It's the same as the agent hiring an inspector. They've ALWAYS been paid by ME, so I am the client.

Correct, but people are talking about things like going to the city and getting records of permits and stuff like that. You would usually want to do that before making a purchase offer. I suppose you could doing that during the inspection period and then claim the inspection found issues if you didn't like what you found.

Houses were not selling in a day or two in the area I was buying in so I had time to get the building records from the city if I liked a house enough to possibly buy it. The majority of cities locally have all of their building records electronic now so they could just email me the building records without even going to city hall. I did this before making a purchase offer.

[mike stenson]

Correct, but people are talking about things like going to the city and getting records of permits and stuff like that. You would usually want to do that before making a purchase offer. I suppose you could doing that during the inspection period and then claim the inspection found issues if you didn't like what you found.

Houses were not selling in a day or two in the area I was buying in so I had time to get the building records from the city if I liked a house enough to possibly buy it. The majority of cities locally have all of their building records electronic now so they could just email me the building records without even going to city hall. I did this before making a purchase offer.


Yea, permits.. those are getting stupid easy to get. I had copies of all permits of my current place (we bought it 2 years ago) in a few minutes online. We had made an offer on another house previously, and backed out during the inspections. Too many things were suspect, some were really bad (the pool needed to be either completely redone or filled in, etc), I never gave a reason. That may depend on local requirements.

Right now, the market everywhere seems to be under listed, I suspect that has to do with covid. So probably more of a reason to really utilize the inspection period.

[lowell holmes]

As an old builder, check on cracks in the foundation, dragging doors, scratches on the floor around doors, wall texture walls and ceiling. This is where flaws will show up.

Check hose bibs for leakage.

If there has been repairs you will see them.

If a slab has had problems you will see them. Use the same diligence you use when car shopping.

[Roger Feeley]

If you need to bring in ten different contractors and a structural engineer to evaluate a house you probably need to build your own house so you know it is done right. There are builders out there who build very nice houses, but they won't be cheap and they'll probably have a waiting list of a year or more.

I don't know where you're going to find many existing houses with double layers of 3/4" flooring. My brother is building his own house with just a single layer of flooring and the floor is as solid as a rock. The flooring is glued and nailed/screwed.

Brian,
the purpose of my original post was to see if there are any clues that a person can see on the original real estate tour that would lead a buyer to believe that the house is built with care. A lot of the replies have been more related to faults that a person can see. And those are certainly appreciated. I realize that the market is fast moving so the ability to spot the gem is all the more valuable.

fyi, my floors are glued, nailed and screwed. My builder glued and nailed them. Then over the weekend, my wife and I pre-drilled and drove screws at about 6” intervals into every joist. Not a single squeak. HA!

[Roger Feeley]

I remember being sort of shocked when I moved from PA to Virginia and saw that many builders and contractors did not use drip edge along the roof edges.

Drip edge. That could be a good one.

Is there drip edge?
is the drip edge extending about 1/2” from the sheathing ore is it snugged up close. The guys on this old house just hate drip edges snugged up tight.

At the gable end of the House, is there an overhang? One way to cheap up a house is to forget the overhang.

[Bill Dufour]

I have seen quite a few homes were they used grip edge instead of drip edge with shingles. A sure sign it will rot the fascia.
Bill D

[Mike Soaper]

In general, I suspect a house with 2x6 studded exterior walls is insulated better than a house with 2x4 studs in the wall.

They make infrared cameras the plug into cells phones for about $200+ that might be good for a quick scan of insulation and water leaks, not sure how well the work compared to better infrared cameras

I've heard concerns that wooden I beam floor joists fail sooner than solid wood joists in a fire, but I've also heard there are ways to address this.

[John Goodin]

I am a home inspector and determining well-built may not be as important as in need of major and expensive repairs. A well built house from the 1980s may need more repairs than a marginally built house from 2018.

There are a few areas that are expensive and can be checked out by an informed buyer before making an offer.

The foundation: look for out of square doors, exterior foundation cracks (not corner pops), diagonal cracks from the corners of windows and doors, visually out of level floors, offset drywall cracks, step cracks in brick and stone.

HVAC: The serial number can be decoded on the web to determine the age of the HVAC components -- same for water heaters. You just need the brand name and serial number. The site is building-center.org. How old it too old varies by climate. In central Texas anything over 10 or 11 years old gets a "may need repair major repair or replacement in the near future" comment. If the house is from the 1980s and has a flexible duct system determine if it has a gray plastic exterior. If so, it is a defective product and mostly likely needs replacement.

Roof: Look for excessive granule loss and previous repairs. Sometimes on sunny days the edges of the older shingles will shimmer from the exposed fiberglass.

Windows: Double-paned is much better than single-paned but also look for a gray haze or moisture between the panes. Broken seals are less efficient and can be expensive to fix since there are usually multiple windows needing repair.

Exterior Siding: Look for rot, separation and large gaps. Most houses need some caulking to seal thing up better but that is not expensive.


Hiring an inspector:
Only hire one who will give a walk through at the end. Some guys are more interested in heading to the next job and that means you may get a rushed inspection. The walk through provides great supplemental information to the report.
Find out if they do repairs. If they do repairs they may only interested in issues they can bid on. Some states do not allow inspectors to repair a house for a period of time after the inspection.
What they charge has nothing to do with how good of an inspection is conducted.

As far as realtors referring inspectors who will only write up minor defects that is not really the case in my experience. Never have I been asked directly or indirectly asked to go easy on an inspection. Most realtors want a through inspector who acts professionally and has the time and skills to explain the issues. Writing a glossed over report is the quickest way for the inspector and realtor to get sued.

[Anuj Prateek]

Ummm literally every time I've bought a house I made the offer, IF it was accepted THEN the inspection period started. It's the same as the agent hiring an inspector. They've ALWAYS been paid by ME, so I am the client.

Actually, based on market, what Brian has mentioned is pretty accurate.

In case of the house we bought, there were multiple offers. To make our offer lucrative, we got house inspection done before making the offer - so that there were no conditions in offer. House viewing to offer acceptance was less than 2-3 days. Of those 2-3 days majority of time went in negotiations. There was one more party that kept escalating the price. There was practically no time to even get an appointment for anything beyond house inspection.

Our offer was not picked up on one of the houses because of all conditions (inspection, finance etc). Someone made a similar offer but did not have any inspection.

Most of the houses we looked at, sold in less than 5 days. Houses that did not sell are still not sold. This is in Coquitlam area (near Vancouver). Houses which are still on market are either ridiculously priced or have other problems (grow house, tenants, easement etc).

Similarly, when we sold our house is Seattle, it was sold in a week or so. We got multiple offers and ones that had any conditions were not considered. Well I would have considered them if they were offering significantly more.

tl;dr; based on the market one does not always have the choice.

[John Goodin]

Wow. I have never done an inspection before the offer and live in Austin — a very hot market. I regularly have agents who schedule a tentative inspection for their client so they can offer a 3 day option period. Multiple offers are common, just did one with 13 offers, and even then clients get some repairs or money. I guess people are willing to give a little when they are getting thousands of dollars over asking.

[Stan Calow]

In our area, the mortgage lenders require an inspection before approving a loan. And another one if its a VA/FHA backed loan.

But I think the OP was just looking for things that could be observed by the potential buyer, on a walk through before considering making an offer. A lot of the defects mentioned wouldn't necessarily be deal-breakers as long as you're aware of them. And part of negotiations.

My builder friends say that they can't build the way they would like to (quality) because most customers only look at the price.

[Mike Soaper]

"My builder friends say that they can't build the way they would like to (quality) because most customers only look at the price. "

price vs quality vs sq ft vs location, something typically has to give.

I doubt if few house buyers consider the quality of electrical outlets and switches beyond cosmetics

[Roger Feeley]

Many thanks to all that contributed. The happy couple have been monitoring this thread. She is an industrial engineer and he is a computer security expert. They both approach this from an analytical point of view and are very grateful. They are preparing a summary checklist that we will go through together.

So thanks again and if you think of anything more, we would be thrilled to read it.

[Roger Feeley]

My builder friends say that they can't build the way they would like to (quality) because most customers only look at the price.

I heard the owner of Pulte homes interviewed on npr once. I was astounded when he said, “My job is to figure out how to build homes without skilled labor.”

[Jim Becker]

I heard the owner of Pulte homes interviewed on npr once. I was astounded when he said, “My job is to figure out how to build homes without skilled labor.”

This is also why many large builders...like Toll Brothers...builds components on a factory floor and then the pre-made wall panels are delivered on a flatbed and just "assembled" by the framing labor team. It conceivably helps with quality and consistency but it also cuts labor time in the field as well as reduces the necessary skill set to erect the homes.

[Bill Dufour]

In California you have to have a termite inspection to get a home loan. I am not sure if there has to be one to buy a house for all cash with no loan. I understand this is law not a custom
Bill D.

[Jim Becker]

Laws do come into play with home inspections during a title transfer, but invariably, the lender involved in the deal is going to expect various kinds of inspections, too, before they will confirm and pay out on the buyer's loan. My lender required both a general home inspection as well as a termite inspection. I expect the same will be true when we go to sell in a year or three to downsize and am planning accordingly, both as a seller and as a buyer.

[Brian Elfert]

I don't recall my lender saying anything about needing a home inspection. I was going to get a home inspection regardless of what the lender required.

[Jim Becker]

I've had that happen more than once, Brian.

[Stan Calow]

In my area, you have to provide a pretty detailed disclosure form. One of the questions is about whether an inspection has been done previously. That is, if an inspection was done and the deal fell through, you are required to share that inspection report with any new potential buyers.

[Ron Selzer]

Never had to have an General inspection when buying three different houses in Ohio.
Did have to have septic inspection, termite inspection, gas inspection on last two.
Worked on enough houses that inspectors missed major problems thru the years.
Ron

[Daniel O'Neill]

Someone mentioned it but I would agree (to the point of writing it again) that a blower door & infared are great ways to "see" inside the walls. Age of the house will affect the results of these tests as older houses were not built as "air-tight". Fine Home Building has a podcast and they have talked about this stuff too. I don't remember the episodes but all their episodes are free online.