Hampton Roads Reality Check: Before You Panic About That Inspection Report

If everything on this list were a deal breaker, no one would own a home. 😉

One of the things I love about Hampton Roads is our variety of housing. We have charming old houses, mid-century ranches, 1980s neighborhoods, shiny new construction - and everything in between.

But different eras of construction come with different materials, systems, and quirks.

So when an inspection report mentions something you've never heard of and Google immediately makes it sound like your new house is trying to kill you, context matters.

Here are a few things we commonly encounter.

Aluminum Wiring

An estimated two million homes were built with aluminum wiring between 1965 and 1974.

If we find it, that doesn't automatically mean RUN. It means we want to understand its condition and determine whether any updates or safety measures are recommended.

Translation: Not necessarily a deal killer. More of a “let's look closer” item.

Two-Prong Outlets

Grounded outlets didn't become standard until 1962, so seeing two-prong, ungrounded outlets in an older home isn't exactly shocking.

Many homeowners choose to update them over time, but their presence alone doesn't mean something is terribly wrong with the house.

Translation: Older house doing older-house things.

Polybutylene Pipes

Polybutylene piping was widely used from the late 1970s through the mid-1990s before eventually being phased out.

If it's present, we'll want to understand the bigger picture—particularly its condition, potential insurance implications, and what replacement might look like down the road.

Translation: Something to plan for, not necessarily panic over.

Cast Iron Plumbing

Cast iron plumbing was commonly used in homes built through the 1970s, and it can have a wonderfully long lifespan.

But like basically everything else on Earth, it doesn't last forever.

An inspector can help us look for deterioration and better understand its current condition, rather than assuming it's bad simply because it's old.

Translation: Age matters less than condition.

Asbestos

Yep. That's a scary word.

Asbestos was used in a variety of building materials, particularly in older homes. But its presence doesn't automatically mean you need people in hazmat suits ripping your house apart.

It's typically of greater concern when the material is damaged or disturbed, and many materials containing asbestos can be safely left in place.

Translation: It sounds scary. It's often manageable.

Lead-Based Paint

If you're buying a home built before 1978, lead-based paint may be present.

Again, this is extremely common in older housing. Like asbestos, the condition of the material matters, particularly if it's deteriorating or you're planning renovations that will disturb it.

Translation: Standard consideration for the age - not necessarily a surprise.

And Then There Are Termites...

Welcome to Hampton Roads. 😂

Our region sees a lot of termite activity, which is why termite inspections, treatment, and prevention are a routine part of homeownership here.

Finding evidence that a house has been treated for termites at some point doesn't automatically mean you bought a lemon.

I care much more about questions like:

Is there active activity? Is there damage? Has it been treated? And how is it being managed?

Around here, the conversation isn't always “Has this house ever encountered termites?”

Sometimes it's simply:

“What's the termite plan?”

The Big Picture

A home inspection isn't a pass/fail test, and we're not looking for a house with absolutely nothing wrong with it.

That house does not exist.

We're trying to understand what you're buying.

Some findings require further evaluation. Some may affect insurance or future expenses. Some deserve negotiation. And some are simply normal characteristics of a home built during a particular era.

That's where I want us to keep our heads.

We investigate before we catastrophize. We get expert opinions when we need them. And we look at the whole house—not one scary sentence buried on page 47 of an inspection report.

Because sometimes a red flag is a red flag.

And sometimes?

It's just a 1968 house being a 1968 house. 😉