3 Things I Wish I'd Paid Better Attention to During My Home Inspection

Knowing how important the home inspection can be, I had one scheduled ASAP after my offer was accepted. On the day, I showed up early, I followed the inspector doggedly -- I even took notes.

And yet, here I am, myriad repairs later, wondering how I missed so much.

Ultimately, there's only so much you're going to discover during even the most thorough inspection. You generally aren't taking down walls, opening up ceilings, or putting cameras in pipes.

That said, there are definitely some things I could have paid more attention to at the time. Although it wouldn't have changed my mind about purchasing the house, I'd have been better able to plan and prepare, potentially saving me lots of money. Here are a few examples of what I mean.

1. The state of the HVAC system

While home inspectors are required to know quite a bit about, well, quite a bit, they usually aren't specialists, especially not in HVAC maintenance and repair. So, while my inspector dutifully turned on the heat and AC to test their function, he couldn't tell me much more about the age of the machinery than that it was "on the older side."

In my mind, this translated to, "You may have to replace this in a few years." However, in hindsight, I should have taken it to mean: "You should get this serviced by a professional before winter because it could die at any moment."

Fun fact: An emergency furnace replacement in December when it's 20 F outside is much more expensive than a planned upgrade in August when it's 70 F.

The takeaway

Ask your inspector (and the sellers if possible) about the exact age of all of the appliances, including the HVAC and water heater. Even if everything is newer, have a professional service everything as soon as possible to head off any potential issues.

2. Unmaintained maintenance issues

It's amazing how many things around a house require regular maintenance to prevent catastrophic failure. During your inspection, it's best to identify as many of those things as possible -- and whether the current owners have been keeping up with them.

For example, did you know that a Built-Up Roof (tar-and-gravel roof) breaks down and cracks over time? If you don't re-tar regularly, it leaks. Guess how I found out?

Once again, I can't say I was entirely unwarned. My inspector did point out a few areas of the roof in question that looked like they needed maintenance. What I didn't understand was that the need was rather immediate -- like, this roof is probably already leaking right now immediate.

The takeaway

If the inspector points to things that need maintenance, make careful note of them on the to-do list -- near the top of the to-do list, in fact. Even if they've been maintained thus far, you'll want to make sure you keep up with it. And if they haven't been maintained, consult a professional about what needs to be done as soon as you can.

If the inspector finds repeated signs that regular maintenance hasn't been upkept, take that as a sign that you (and your savings account) are going to be very busy playing catch-up.

3. Less-finished finishes

The finishes on a house are just that: the finishing touches. They bring everything together and give your house its homey charm. So when they're not right, it can become like an itch you can't scratch.

In my case, there are a ton of little details that I either didn't notice or didn't note during the walkthroughs and inspection. The kitchen, for instance, is missing baseboards all around. I noticed a couple missing -- but I definitely didn't realize it was nearly all of them.

These sorts of things aren't going to make or break your purchase, or cause any particular safety issues. However, they definitely cost money to fix, money you're going to want to spend before you show off your new home. It'd be nice to know how much money that is before you get started.

The takeaway

Look closely at all the finishes during your walkthroughs and inspection. Look for missing baseboards, unfinished drywall, thresholds missing covers, knobs and/or hardware that don't match, etc. Add these items to your to-do list -- and your to-do list budget -- so you have an idea of the scope of the work that needs finished.

You can't find it all

Again, I want to make it clear that knowing these things wouldn't have made me change my mind about the house -- yes, even the furnace thing. This house checked so many boxes, in such a disappointing market, that I'm still happy to have found it.

Besides, you're never going to be able to discover it all during an inspection. Every single house has its quirks, and you're only going to really find them by living in it.

So, definitely pay careful attention during your walkthroughs and inspection. You'll hopefully find any major red flags. And, if you're more on the ball than I was, maybe you'll be adequately prepared for what you'll find when you move in. Hopefully you can learn from some of my mistakes.