Only suggestion for an inspection is to see if you have a company that does electrical inspections. The plumbing and heating company I use along with my electric company have been suggesting that whole house electrical inspections be done. This includes checking each plug in receptacle to see that it draws correctly.

I am not certain what you mean by upstairs HVAC being replaced. Is it a through the wall, window unit, or zone heating/cooling.

Most common inspections here (S Florida) include:

1) Comprehensive whole house inspection - some inspectors are knowledgeable and some aren't at all.

2) Termite/WDO - get a local honest and experienced pest co, not one of the big franchise co's

3) Pool - if needed. Leak detection is separate from a regular pool inspection. If you suspect a leak, get one of the local leak detection companies. Beware the large franchise companies in this particular area of pool inspections.

4) Septic - if applicable

5) Well water and equipment insp - if applicable

6) Insurance co mandatory inspections here for wind mitigation reports and 4-point report if he house is more than 30 years old

7) Dock and seawall inspections if applicable

Most of the houses in my area get #1, #2 and #6. The insurance inspection reports here are mandatory. Note: I have only brought in an electrical contractor if the GC lists items that need to be replace/repaired on the report, but if you only have a non-GC type inspector, then it is a good idea to separate out the systems and have professionals you trust take a look.

Thanks. We have zoned central HVAC. No septic or well water. I just remembered that we have a mortared stone retaining wall. Who checks that?

What is a 4 point report?

How do I find someone who does pool leak detection?

4-point inspection report is for any home over 30 years old and is a requirement by the insurance companies in Florida. I don't know if they are required elsewhere, probably not. We seem to get the short end of the stick when it comes to mandatory insurance reports required in order to even get coverage. Explanation in this link: https://www.weshopinsurance.com/news/2017/07/4-point-inspection-in-florida-for-home-insurance-what-is-it-why

Not all pool inspection companies do leak detection. So those that do, really advertise it. I would start by getting a reference from your general inspector and/or your Realtor, if you have one. Do a google search too. Check reviews.

Where I live stucco from that era had big moisture and rot problems. I bought a house that had been stucco and had remediation. I was told to still have a moisture test by my real estate attorney but I got the remediation specifications and we determined the problem had been properly corrected which included replacing windows and all the rotted wood and moldy sheetrock surrounding them.

You may want to verify that the HVAC is properly sized for your house. My inspector only pointed out that the AC was a year old. I only later found out it was undersized, didn’t adequately cool my home and needed to be replaced.

Getting the trees checked is a good point. I need to find out how many they have.

How do I get he stucco tested for moisture? Who would do that?

I've never seen a test for that (unless you are talking about a regular moister meter) and most of the homes here are stucco. What does your comprehensive inspector say about it?

Moisture meters are what they are speaking of, and IMO, should be done on stucco homes. A separate HVAC inspection, about $100 here, may be something to think about too. The list that Denita cited above should cover most all else.

I'm surprised no one suggested inspecting the properties boundaries too... get that survey!

And the easiest inspection to have done... get on Google Earth and check out your surroundings.

It has become my policy to hire experts for inspections. It always seems that home inspectors always note problems with the caveat to consult a professional. It gets them out of all sorts of trouble.

I do the obvious stuff myself, appliances, broken windows and locks. Open and close all the doors and windows. I inspect around the foundation and the basement. Check all of the hand rails and banisters to be certain they are solid. Any wiggle and they need repair.

A phone to take pictures, a flashlight and a screwdriver are useful. I use a flashlight to look at the drywall in all the rooms. Turn off the lights when you do this. This will allow you to see if there is any water intrusion or buckling. Having the lights on will hide drywall problems.

I hire my HVAC guy to inspect the units. I also hire my plumber, electrician and roofer to do specialized inspections, too. You absolutely need a pool inspection of both the equipment and leak detection. For this house you will need a stucco inspection with a moisture meter reading underneath each window, both interior and exterior as well as around the doors. You can hire an independent remediation contractor to do this job. Just because they did the repairs doesn't mean that it was all fixed properly. The owner may not even know. The remediation guys will have the meter and know how to use it.

I suggest a structural engineer if you have any idea that there may be a problem with the retaining wall or drainage. Don't hire one if it looks good to you. They can also help you with the foundation. It's a great idea to have a tree guy out to look at the health of the trees. I've learned the hard way about the trees. If there is a sprinkler and alarm system, be certain to run them both to find out if they are fully operational.

Just be sure to get a written report from each specialist with an estimate of the cost to cure should anything be found. In my state, a termite inspection with a clearance report is required in order to transfer the property. Blow off the little stuff that inspectors always flag.

I'm not a pro, but when we bought our home, we were young, naive first time buyers and our inspector missed a lot.

If you live in an area that has high radon levels, ask to check if they have a remediation system already in place and/or have a company check the levels. In my area, it is common to have the sellers install the system if there is not one already.

If there are "newer" big ticket items, ask to see receipts. One of my friends was under contract for a house and was told the HVAC was 5 years old. She found out during the inspection that it was the original system to the 20 year old house. She asked the seller for proof of purchase of the new system and that's when she found out they lied. They wound up breaking the contract.

We finished our basement recently and pulled a permit for it. It cost more but we wanted the peace of mind. I would personally not buy a house that did not pull permits for things like basement finishing or additions (and there are plenty of people that do these things without a permit).

^Well said chocolatebunny123. I agree 100% with you about checking all the "newer" big ticket items (all items really). I can't tell you how many sellers have claimed a new system and it turns out to be an old system. I used to think that the sellers thought we Realtors were stupid and they could just pull the wool over our eyes about the age of their HVAC or whatever. Now I think it is because they remember the pain of the expense, but not the actual time it was put in, as in 'time flies' and they simply don't remember.

Your information about non-permitted work is critical for buyers to know. The liability rides with the property. So whomever owns the property at the time the city/county/municipality discovers the non-permitted work, the owner is responsible to remove or fix and pay. That can involve huge fines. In some areas of my county those fines can be $1000 per DAY. This can create a huge issue for the now stuck homeowner. I suggest to do as you had done - don't buy homes without a permit for the 'improvement' or negotiate it's worth based on the additional liability attached and remedy right away.

Is it genuine stucco (rated as mortar) or the sometimes faulty pseudo-stucco (Drivit or similar name).

What does the city building department have on the house? Permits? Code inspections? Can your insurance agent pull any claims records for you?

Neighbors are an often neglected source of information.