How to find hidden home defects after buying
Standard general home inspectors routinely miss major issues like uninstalled roof components, faulty electrical work, and plumbing failures. Relying on them leaves buyers facing massive, unexpected repair projects and damages after they have already moved in.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1pushing harder on original builders
- 2having a roofing company inspect the area
- 3having the builder come out and inspect
- 4Contacting the inspector to request a discount or reimbursement
- 5Filing claims through the inspector's errors and omissions insurance
- 6Hiring multiple independent trade specialists instead of a general home inspector
- 7Sistering boards and making DIY structural repairs
- 8Hiring an inspector to check the entire house before the warranty period ends.
- 9Only making warranty claims if there are existing visual defects or known problems.
- 10living with the unpermitted addition for now without bringing it up to code
- 11pulling up the floor to sister joists and add insulation manually
- 12saving money over time to eventually fix or rebuild the structure
- 13isolating the room from the main house to manage energy efficiency
- 14paying out of pocket for a plumber or repairs
- 15consulting a lawyer to review sales paperwork and potential fraud
- 16Scraping off roots, applying root killer around the flange, and re-setting the toilet with a new seal
- 17Getting a sewer scope inspection
- 18Leaving the back of the toilet un-caulked to detect leaks early
- 19Hiring a qualified plumber instead of relying solely on a home inspector
- 20Reviewing home insurance policies to see if coverable
- 21Considering whether to call home insurance
- 22Attempting DIY fixes like laying out uninstalled attic insulation
- 23Crawling all over the house, attic, and crawlspaces personally
- 24Visiting the home right after it rains to check for leaks
- 25Paying out of pocket for repairs as issues arise over time
- 26considering buying an RV and attempting DIY remediation
- 27considering letting the house foreclose and walking away
- 28Scrolling through pest control online forums
- 29Contacting the landlord and management
- 30Waiting for an assigned exterminator
- 31Having strata or property management hire independent plumbers
- 32Checking local building codes independently
- 33Trying to fix issues before attempting to sell
- 34Considering selling the home as-is for just over the remaining mortgage amount
- 35Waiting for the housing market conditions to change
- 36checking warranty policy coverage
- 37modifying the installation
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Just bought a house, went to replace the downstairs toilet and this is what I just found.”source ↗
“I called a roofer (who was GREAT), and it was his opinion that NO shingles were ever laid in this spot. He cited, “no adhesive residue from ice and water shield, no staples from underlayment, no nail holes””source ↗
“Now before we closed I pulled the online permits for the home. The addition wasnt there but it was old enough it likely wouldnt be in the online permits.”source ↗
“Turns out those fucking permit records were pulling the sq footage from the MLS listing, not the county records. Again totally my fault for not verifying but I thought those were the official records. This sunroom was absolutely not permitted.”source ↗
“I have no idea what to do. Id love to get it permitted but I cant imagine thay will be possible because the crawl space code is 18 inches min so we'd have to raise the floor or dig out the crawl space.”source ↗
“My home inspector did the same. Then I found 3” of sewage in my crawl space because of a crack… void in my cast iron.”source ↗
“As someone who bought an old house and made the mistake of hiring a general home inspector, I concur. Wish I had hired an electrician, a plumber and a roofer instead.”source ↗
“I wish I could go back and sue mine after the egregious electrical, plumbing, hvac, and roofing problems I found in the subsequent 24 months after I moved in to my house”source ↗
“My house is full of mold and I don’t know what to do”source ↗
“We feel stuck with no good options, and are not sure where to turn.”source ↗
“Once I found electrical problems he missed I called some other trades people I knew and I now I have a massive project list and damages to be repaired. 😬”source ↗
“Yesterday, after nearly a month, I’m not living there yet so my sister and I went into the unit to measure and we saw 3 roaches.”source ↗
“I am so severely upset I couldn’t sleep all night thinking about it and I don’t even live there yet.”source ↗
“Please if anyone has any success stories or advice I need it I’m in severe distress over it.”source ↗
“do you recommend contract a inspector to check the all house so if find any problem i can claim warranty?”source ↗
“Bought our home 7 years ago, and all of the shortcuts made by whoever "flipped" this house are showing up.”source ↗
“SOOOOOO a lot is happening with the house, and it is all looking expensive and time consuming to address.”source ↗
“I think we are 110% fucked with humidity and potential for rotting wood.”source ↗
“I am almost three years into owning my home and I regret it.”source ↗
“Now I desperately want to sell but I’m worried that I won’t get what I have left on my mortgage from it”source ↗
“This house was a flipped house and the longer I live here the more things pop out that should have been found in the inspection”source ↗
“This house was my pride and joy and now I feel almost trapped because who would want to buy a house in this condition?”source ↗
“My home inspector turned on the hot water to check the temp. It passed. Unfortunately it only lasted for approximately one minute but we didn’t find that out until we moved in.”source ↗
“Main drain had about 1/4" of clearance after calcium build up. Water heater was failing, HVAC was dead, electric panel was fire hazard (master house shut off didnt actually turn power off to the house). All fixes cost me almost 100K”source ↗
“Old 3” vent pipe through the roof that was connected to nothing and not capped off or removed and sealed. Rain water poured into it until Sheetrock in the bathroom collapsed.”source ↗
“Builder put the hood range exhaust right against the bottom of the top cabinet (1st and 2nd image).”source ↗
“Because the cabinet's Face Frame is a roughly an inch lower than the floor, trim pieces (3rd image) were used to install the microwave vent.”source ↗
“Developer and their plumbing company denying anything wrong, what can I do about this??”source ↗
“Only the floor in one room that makes a squeak and when I walk in that room the doors shake”source ↗
Where this came up
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