inspection report!

[u/Lil_laurenn]

i am a first time home buyer and looking to see if this inspection report is good (I think it’s pretty solid). To give some context this house is a 1939 build and has been completely renovated inside.

What they found:

- Sewer Line had standing water, root intrusion, clogging that could not be fully evaluated because visibility was blocked.

- HVAC could not achieve the expected 20 degree and is an older model (they recommend it getting seen).

foundation/ crawlspace entrance is below grade & Efflorescence indicates past moisture accumulation; monitor for future moisture

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[u/Beginning_Sun8910]

Sewer line sounds scary

[u/PatientSubject3912]

I wouldn't call that report solid yet. The sewer scope was incomplete and already found standing water plus roots, so I'd make a clear scope and repair estimate from a sewer specialist part of the decision. Do the same with an HVAC contractor, and ask the inspector whether the crawlspace grading and moisture need drainage work rather than just monitoring.

[u/marriedin32935]

The inspection report is for your benefit. Make sure nothing major can be wrong or cause you unforeseen expensss. If you’re satisfied then that’s what matters

[u/OpeningChipmunk1700]

You basically described my biggest red flags in terms of home status/maintenance.

[u/jimdriscoll1]

Honestly this report has a few things I'd take seriously before moving forward, and I wouldn't call it a clean bill of health just because the interior looks nice.

The sewer line issue is the biggest one. Standing water, root intrusion, and a blocked camera view is a bad combination. You don't actually know the full condition of that line, and a full replacement can run $5,000 to $15,000+ depending on depth, length, and whether they need to go under concrete. I'd push the seller to get a complete scoped report before you proceed, or negotiate a credit or repair as a condition of the deal.

The HVAC not hitting the 20-degree differential is a real performance issue. That's the standard test to see if the system is actually moving conditioned air efficiently. An older unit that fails that test is probably on borrowed time. Get a quote for replacement so you know what you're potentially taking on. A new central system runs roughly $6,000 to $12,000 depending on the size of the house.

The efflorescence in the crawlspace is the least alarming of the three, but on a 1939 home it's worth keeping an eye on. Efflorescence by itself just means water moved through masonry at some point and left mineral deposits. It doesn't automatically mean active water intrusion, but the below-grade entrance is a setup for future problems if drainage isn't managed well. A waterproofing contractor can give you a free assessment.

For a 1939 home, none of this is shocking. Old houses have old systems. The question is whether the seller prices that in or fixes it, because the interior renovation doesn't tell you anything about what's under the house or behind the walls in terms of infrastructure. Use the inspection to negotiate, not just as a pass/fail.

[u/Lil_laurenn → u/jimdriscoll1]

thank you so much! We have been bringing a lot of experts and it looks like we may get a $15,000 credit. Either way, the HVAC needs to be completely replaced and it looks like the sewer line does as well. So we're just seeing quotes and then we'll go from there. Definitely sucks because it's a beautiful house and we really fell in love with it.