Reply to Should we get to two home inspections or is that overkill?

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[quote=Anonymous]on this house we didn't have an inspector thats how cynical i've become.

Buying an older home has big risks on major problems.  I think you need to look for obvious defects - basement wetness (did they recently paint the basement - usually hides something), cracks in the exterior walls, misalignment of walls and floors, very old boiler.  I agree with 10:46 - think about inspectors motivation and take what they say with that knowledge.

Don't rely on HOW warranties - they are a crock.  And have big $ set aside for rainy day emergencies.  And ask for the seller to fix stuff if you can negotiate.  In our neighborhood, that isn't an option so ask your realtor.

I found the most expensive stuff includes  painting a wood shingle house - $10000 or more.   And you might need to do that every 5 - 10 years!  Electrical upgrades are very expensive and can be unending - has house been "heavied up"?

How is the water pressure?  Turn on the shower upstairs and let it run for a while.  DO you get hot water eventually (how long)?  How is water pressure?  Low water pressure can be tricky and expensive to fix (although ours was just fixing the main shutoff). Does it drain?  The pans in those old shower eventually leak and are major repairs when you fail (fortunately our house already had this happen so we are good for a while).

Is it slate roof?  THose can last forever but need regular maintenance which isn't too bad.  (Please don't replace it with asphalt!)  How are the gutters?  Do they drain or are they clogged (a source of water in basement)?

Another question for you.  What are the trees like near the house?  It can cost thousands to take down a tree or worse it can fall on your house.  If this is dc, the street trees are maintained by the city.

Looking for rotting porches - another big expense.  [/quote]

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