Dear Monty: We will be starting our home search soon. We have not toured a physical home but have seen a few videos. We will not buy a home without a home inspection. We want to know where to pay close attention. When we begin touring houses, we wonder if there are any “hotspots” we should check for problems in pre-owned homes.
Monty’s Answer: There are areas where home inspectors are more likely to discover defects. There are also areas you will not be able to see, and if you could, you may not know what to observe — a home inspection is a visual inspection only. One component to test that a home inspector does not or will not inspect is the main sewer line in the house to the street or septic tank. Some home inspectors have a camera snake, but most often, a plumber does it as a separate inspection and fee….