Question about inspection for a 1950s house

[Santhi Mani]

What are the various inspections commonly done for a house built in 1958, apart from the general inspection? This house has a basement. 

Thank you so much!!

[Curt Smith]

Hi, you didn't give enoufh info!!! Are you buying to live in? FHA? or invest as a "fixer" where you'll fix and rent? Each scenario has a different layer. FHA / occupant is the toughest in that the appraiser will be VERY PICKY and not gtive you your value needed to be equal to or greater then the loan amojnt. Then long faces on both sides and the seller has to decide to drop price to equal the appraisal or not...

But in general as Alecia mentioned looking for AND TESTING that the houses outlets are 3 wire grounded, not just replaced grounded outlets without the ground wire (very common in cheap fixups).

- Galvanized pipe is a certainty and is bad.  Plugs and leaks.  But by now some to most has been replaced by either CPVC (beige), copper or PEX.  

- Black iron sewer pipe is bad.  It may still be there.   Over time toilets plug bla bla and you'll pay $5k to replace wth white PVC.

- Sewer line to the street,  Probbly still black iron.  This is really bad.   And will rust/colapse blabla and will neeed replacing with PVC for $5k or more.

- Must have central HVAC.  That house was built without ducts,,, unbelievably!   House needs to be upgraded with ducts into each room and ideally a return in each room.  But its common to have a hallway common return.   The HVAC unit can be in the attic, or basement and AC condenser outside.  My rehab tactic is I don't care about the age of the HVAC.  I always want to replace with new.   For better cooling., performance, economy AND few/no calls in July when old units break.    Just replacing a 3 ton HVAC gas heat no duct work,  No more then $4500.  Ask investors for a cheaper hvac guy if more.  If adding ducts to a house without ducts:  add $7k.  ;(

- Electrical feed / breaker/fuse box.   Originally that house was built with a fuse box and 100amp service.  Today you need to find / see at least a 150amp breaker box.  The top disconnect breaker will be labled with the amperage.  200amp means its brand new.

Replacing a fuse box is $7k but includes adding grounding to the rest of the 2 wire house.

- Roof.  Must have ok to newer looking shingles.  If they look old, corners are curling up. leaks on the inside ceiling then $6k new roof.

- Foundation / crawl space.   Even with a basement the walls can be cracked, bowing in, shows signs of water in the basement.  Damp, brown mud in corners.   This is all fixable. Even mold on the walls or floor joices is fixable.   But ads a few $1k for water proofing paint, to much much more.  

- Exterior brick...  No big cracks.  All old brick has hair line crakes is normal.   99% of exterior brick cracking (and basement/foundation cracking) is due to improper or not functioning gutters and down spouts and ducting water away from the house.  IE Good gutters and 10' black pipe off the down spouts movingt the water away.

Join the local REIA; Chattanooga REIA. Search in Facebook. Go to their meetings. You will need contractor referals from other investors.

Good luck in Chat!