A nice little cape.
Buying a home with no attic access.
Get a professional roofing consultant or a reputable roofing company to do an inspection.
I noticed there is no attic access.
Actually there was never an attic.
In addition many inspectors will not include attic spaces if easy and ready access isn t available.
About 3 4 times per year for the last couple of years water drips into the living room window.
You can build a home with or without an attic.
My company has come across this scenario on the past.
As with any other part of a home inspection attics must be accessible.
If it s a vault or there is no attic access in a standard attic space.
There is no attic above that part of the house.
I can tell you that it is a real pita sometimes.
If you find this situation in a house you are considering buying do not proceed until the seller provides an attic access for examination by you and your home inspector.
There is a house right next door that is a mirror image of the house we want to buy it was built by the same contractor at the same time this home was built.
A critical part of the property is not accessible so do not go forward with the transaction until it is.
Or the homeowner might have a bureau placed in front of an attic door.
If they aren t inspectors are not required to gain entry by heroic means.
For example a past renovation might seal up an attic access panel in the ceiling entirely.
I know there is ventilation up there from the bathroom on the second floor but no direct roof access.
So im possibly buying a house.
I own a split level home with a cathedral ceiling in the living room.
Not all home sellers are aware of the importance of this type of inspection and some may not readily agree to one.
They are usually only for insulation anyway.
We talked to the people who live next door and they bought the house when it was built in 2008 when it was new and it has no attic access either.
I d hire a separate inspector for the roof.
If there is a problem with the roof it.
2 the attic access opening may have been removed during a remodeling.
This is not a good sign.
There is access to the eaves but nothing up to the roof itself.
If there really is no attic access you should ask the seller to install an opening as part of the requirement in all real estate sales contracts that access be provided for the buyer to the property for inspection.