/diy/ - Do It Yourself

>>1361352
Old homes.

Lead paint. Most people simply make the claim that they have 'no knowledge' of lead paint being in the house. IE they didn't test anything and the won't because then they would have to tell you. If lead paint is an issue for you (you have kids or you plan on doing a ton of renovation work) then get it tested.

Asbestos. I'll be straight with you; if the house was made before the 1970s it probably has some. As above, most people don't test if they plan on selling that way they can claim they don't know. The big areas you find it are in insulation and paneling/flooring. Get it tested.

Electrical. Old homes have shitty electrical. Just because a house has three prong outlets doesn't mean anything is grounded. Get a simple outlet tester (picture related) and plug it into several different outlets throughout the house. Depending on when it was built some rooms may be grounded and not others. Check any and all breaker boxes in the house. Some breakers are unsafe (Federal Pacific and others) and need to be replaced.

Also, aluminum wire can be a concern. While not a problem in itself it was used in residential construction in the US when the price of copper wire spiked. So, contractors switched to save a buck but they often didn't change their switches and outlets to match the wire (again to save a buck). The copper contacts in the switches/outlets cause corrosion when mated with aluminum wire, which increases resistance and ultimately causes fires. Keep an eye out for badly done installs of it.

Insulation. Old homes have none and adding more can be a huge pain. Something to consider.

Single pane windows. They last forever but they suck. Something else to consider.

The two biggest repairs for a home are the roof and the foundation. Not only do they cost a mint to repair in and of themselves, they tend to cause knock-on problems like water damage (leaky roof) or cracks in walls (bad foundation), etc. If either is bad just walk away.