Everything You Need to Know About Home Inspections
You’ve found your dream home and, after some negotiation, your offer has been accepted. Congratulations! Now comes the stressful part: the home inspection. The inspection is a make-or-break moment that can turn up a few minor repairs or a major, dream-ending structural issue. Even when no serious issues are found, reading an inspection report can be intimidating.
We spoke with our friend, Aaron Schroer, a professional home inspector with Tennessee Home Inspectors, about inspections to help demystify the process. Drawing on his and our experience navigating this stage of the home-buying process, we’ve laid out the basics below.
What’s an inspection, and why is it a must-have?
First, let’s explain what this often stressful process is and why it’s worth going through.
After your offer is accepted, you have a period (typically 7 to 10 days) to inspect the property and negotiate with the seller for any repairs or monetary concessions. It’s also one of the final opportunities to back out of the deal with minimal difficulty. An inspection can help you make informed decisions about what to ask for from the sellers or even when to walk away. While an inspector won’t tell you how much to ask in concessions or whether you should back out of a deal, they will provide you with the information you need to make those choices yourself.
During the pandemic home-buying frenzy, some buyers chose to waive their right to an inspection as an incentive to sellers. While this gamble may have paid off for some buyers, for others it led to serious headaches. In the US, provided that the seller properly disclosed any known faults or hazards with the property, you’re purchasing the house in its current condition, no matter how good or bad that condition may be. The seller only needs to disclose what they know and isn’t required to investigate the home before selling; for example, if the seller doesn’t know the age of the roof, they have no obligation to pull permit records to find that information. An inspection can uncover issues the seller was unaware of when completing their disclosure form. If you waive your right to an inspection and discover major issues after closing, you’ll have an expensive legal battle ahead of you to rescind the sale or get other compensation from the seller, and, if the seller properly disclosed all issues they knew of, you may be on the hook for the full cost of repairs.
Don’t panic.
No matter what issues are or aren’t found during your inspection, the mere size of an inspection report can send first-time buyers into a panic. It’s not uncommon for reports to be 20 to 30 pages long or even longer. While your first instinct may be to think that the home is full of issues, it’s important not to panic. A good inspector will closely examine every inch of the house, from foundation to roof, and will include everything they looked at in the report, regardless of the condition.
It’s important to note that inspectors can’t move the seller's belongings during the inspection. If, for example, a piece of furniture is blocking access to the electrical panel, the inspector can’t move that furniture to access the panel.
Some inspectors will include photos and write-ups on every major system in the house, even if just to say that it’s functioning properly. This can lead to a lengthy but thorough report. A long report can mean that there are issues, but in general, it’s a sign that you’re getting more information to draw on when making a decision.
Focus on the big things.
While a good inspection report will take a detailed look at almost every inch of the house, from appliances to water temperature, there are a few sections that you need to pay more attention to than others. Our home inspector contributor Aaron calls these “the big five.” The Big Five are: the roof, the foundation, the electrical system, the plumbing, and the HVAC system.
Aaron explained why these components are so important to pay attention to: “These systems are the most expensive to fix, so they get a lot of attention.”
But, they’re not the only things your inspector will pay extra attention to. “We also check for signs of water intrusion, improper renovations, or safety hazards — especially things that may not be obvious to the average buyer but could lead to serious issues down the line.”
These major systems can be deal breakers for some buyers, and faults in them can impact other parts of the house. For example, a leaking roof can lead to water damage and rot in other parts of the house. Foundation issues can cost tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars to mitigate. Some buyers will ask the sellers to remediate the problems or offer financial concessions so that the new homeowners can make the repairs themselves, but others will choose to walk away from major projects.
Age matters.
When a house was built has a big impact on how your inspector - and you - assess the home. While you should still look at those Big Five systems, other details will differ wildly depending on whether your house was built in 2022, 1972, or even 1822. The way we build houses has changed dramatically over the last couple of centuries, from techniques to materials to building codes and standards.
These changes aren’t necessarily better or worse; they just lead to different maintenance needs. Modern materials like plywood, concrete, and new-growth wood are engineered to be stronger than older brick, mortar, fieldstone, and wood framing, but they’re also more sensitive to water. In contrast, the old-growth wood used in many prewar homes is naturally more rot- and insect-resistant, and also tends to be denser, meaning it takes stain better and is less likely to develop dents and dings.
Because modern building materials are more sensitive to water, this requires newer homes to be better sealed off from the outside world with caulk. These tight seals also help with energy efficiency. Older homes, however, aren’t designed to be completely airtight. This can make them less energy efficient, but it also allows them to dry out if water does get in. Many antique homes were also designed to remain at a comfortable temperature without central air through design elements like covered porches or carefully placed windows that allow for cross breezes. However, past renovations may have rendered these features ineffective.
Context is everything.
There are some things that will show up during an inspection that are a problem in a newer home, but are nothing to worry about in an old or antique building. Over a century (or more), a lot can happen to a house, and if you’ve only ever lived in newer homes, some of the signs of aging can seem alarming at first. However, it’s important to remember that even healed wounds leave scars, and completed repairs and mitigations don’t necessarily erase all traces of the problem they were implemented to solve.
Termites and boring beetles may have made a home in the joists and been mitigated decades earlier. The evidence of insects will still be there in the form of damage to the wood, but, provided it’s not affecting the structural integrity of the joist or girder, it’s not a cause for concern. Our friend Melanie’s new 1800s home in Massachusetts has evidence of boring beetles in the basement girders, but also proof that they have been mitigated and the damaged wood sistered up to new, stronger beams - sometime in the 1930s! Her inspector, familiar with old and antique homes, made it clear that the century-old insect damage wasn’t something to worry about.
Some old houses will have evidence of long-ago fires in the form of charred rafters in the attic. The blackened wood might initially look scary, but it’s usually just superficial damage to the outer layer of wood. It’s viewed as so minor that it may not even be noted on a home inspection report.
This isn’t to say that all signs of damage in an older home should be ignored. New problems can arise, and previous owners can defer maintenance, allowing issues to escalate for years or even decades. A good home inspector will point out what signs of wear and tear need to be addressed and what can be ignored.
“With older homes, we expect to see some settling, outdated materials, or grandfathered systems. That’s not necessarily a problem unless it’s unsafe or failing,” explains Aaron.
Even homes built in the 20th century can have older systems, like lead or iron pipes, knob-and-tube or cloth-wrapped wiring, and uneven or narrow stairs. These problems are “normal,” but they still need to be mitigated.
Depending on where you live, your city or state law may require you to bring the building up to code. But even if you live in a place where these older, no-longer-up-to-code features are grandfathered in, your home insurance company still may require you to update them. Your mortgage lender won’t underwrite your loan without home insurance, and many insurers won’t cover homes with issues like knob-and-tube wiring.
Whether a home is seven or seventy years old, some signs of aging are normal to see. For example, cracks in a foundation are usually not a cause for concern. All homes settle over time, and this can cause thin cracks to appear in both fieldstone and concrete foundations alike. Larger cracks that you can fit your finger in are a cause for concern. Bowing or bulging basement or foundation walls are an even more alarming issue.
Even new homes have problems
It may seem that, with all of the maintenance involved with an older home that a new home is an easy choice. But this isn’t necessarily true. Says Aaron: “With new homes, the bar is higher. We’re looking for proper installation, craftsmanship, and adherence to modern building standards. Ironically, we sometimes find more issues in new builds because builders are racing to meet deadlines, and things get overlooked.”
If you’re purchasing a brand-new home directly from a builder, an inspection is a chance to make sure all of the work has been completed correctly. Builders sometimes forget to install outlet covers or switch plates after painting, doors may be hung unevenly, and fixtures may still need to be installed. Other times, builders may not have included the customizations the buyer ordered. One of our clients discovered that the wrong color countertop had been installed in their custom kitchen. The buyer stood their ground, and the builder installed the correct counter at no cost to the buyer.
It’s important to note that an inspection by the codes department is not the same as one performed by a home inspector. “People usually think that because codes inspected it, they don't need a home inspection. But that couldn't be further from the truth,” says Aaron. A property can be up to code and still require repairs. The codes inspector won’t warn you about missing fixtures, aging but still functioning systems, or aesthetic issues.
The inspection is done, so now what?
Once you have your inspection report, it’s time to make a decision: do you ask for repairs or concessions, take the home as it is, or walk away from the deal altogether? So what qualifies as a dealbreaker?
“That depends on the buyer’s goals, but generally, major foundation movement, chronic water intrusion, or systemic issues like faulty electrical throughout the home can be deal breakers — especially if they’re not priced into the deal,” says Aaron. “Sometimes the cost of repairs exceeds what the home is worth or what the buyer is willing to take on. That said, our job isn’t to tell people to walk — it’s to give them the facts so they can decide. There have been inspections that I thought were a no-go, but the sellers were willing to make major repairs and salvage the deal. You just never know what people are willing to take on as buyers or sellers. We have even seen people do rehab loans and make the house what they want it to be.”
What it really comes down to is cost, effort, and how cooperative (or uncooperative) the seller is. Replacing a roof, which can cost between $10,000 and $20,000, may be a manageable expense for some buyers but an insurmountable obstacle for others. Even if you can afford a repair, the effort involved might be enough for you to walk away.
If you don’t want to deal with the cost or effort involved in repairs, you can ask the seller to address them prior to closing. Depending on the problem and the seller, they may be willing to repair or replace the item in question, but some may only be willing to offer financial concessions or be unwilling to make any concessions at all.
In older homes, you may have higher-cost repairs to discuss during Repair/Replace negotiations, and you may have to let smaller cosmetic issues slide. In contrast, you’re less likely to find major issues in a new build, but you can ask for smaller issues to be mitigated. A recent inspection of a new build for our buyer turned up nineteen items that needed to be repaired or replaced, including missing outlet and switch covers, unfinished landscaping, missing or covered smoke detectors, poorly hung doors, damage to the oven, incorrectly installed insulation, and even a missing handrail on the stairs. The buyer also walked around marking cosmetic issues they wanted addressed. In an older home, cosmetic repairs would be a big ask that the sellers would likely reject, but in a new home you’re purchasing from the builder, it’s not unreasonable to expect things to be in tip-top shape.
If you’re struggling to decide whether an issue is a deal breaker, it’s not a bad idea to seek out an expert opinion. Your realtor can request that the inspection period be extended so that you can get additional evaluations or estimates. You’ll need to pay these professionals for their time, but that investment could save you tens of thousands of dollars - and a lot of stress - down the road.
One of our clients put an offer on a ranch home in a great neighborhood. There was a lot to love about the house, but the inspection discovered bulging foundation walls in the basement braced with steel posts. The home inspector recommended hiring a structural engineer to assess the risk. The engineer advised our buyer to run, not walk, away from the property. The $600 or so spent on hiring the engineer was worth every penny; their expert opinion saved our buyer from purchasing a money pit.
Our inspector friend, Aaron, shares his own memorable story: “[O]ne that always stands out is a young couple buying their first home who were in love with the place — until we opened the crawlspace hatch. What looked like a dream home was now identified as a biological disaster: flooded foundation, Family of Skunks, raw sewage, extensive mold, and structural damage that would have cost over $50,000 to fix. They were crushed at first, but grateful. A few months later, they called us for a different property — we did the inspection, everything checked out, and they’re now happily settled in a home they really love. It's a good reminder: a home inspection isn’t about killing the deal, it’s about making sure you’re buying smart. We want to ensure that our clients LOVE the property and can afford to maintain it!”
Every house requires upkeep.
No matter what your inspection turns up, your house will need maintenance. In an older home, that might mean an aging HVAC system that will need to be replaced in a couple of years or radiators that need to be bled. For a new build, this could be gutter cleaning or regular filter changes.
“A clean inspection doesn’t mean a perfect house, just one without major red flags. And every house, old or new, needs ongoing maintenance,” Aaron explains. “Our team actually offers a Home Patrol Maintenance Program for clients who want annual checkups on their major systems to avoid expensive surprises down the road. It’s a great way to protect your investment, whether you’re in a brand-new build or a charming 1930s bungalow.”
Ready to take the next step in your homeownership journey?
Whether you’re starting your search for your next home or getting ready to sell your current one, we’re here to help - and so is Aaron! You can reach out to Aaron and the team at Tennessee Home Inspectors at their website, www.getaninspector.com, with questions about inspections, to book your home inspection, or to take advantage of their Home Patrol Maintenance Program. To get started buying or selling a home, call Zelda Sheldon and the Nashville Real Estate Rockstars team at Benchmark Realty LLC: (615) 720-7192 or office: (615) 432-2919.