The 5 Things Home Inspectors Find That Buyers Never Expect
By Mitch Lowry · June 6, 2026 · South Puget Sound Home Inspections
Finding No. 1
Crawl Space Moisture — Even in Homes That "Look Fine"
This is the number one finding in South Puget Sound homes, and it surprises buyers every single time. A home can look immaculate from the street, have a freshly painted interior and new appliances — and still have significant moisture problems lurking under the floor.
Our climate here in Western Washington is relentless. Persistent rain, high humidity, and poorly ventilated crawl spaces create the perfect environment for standing water, saturated vapor barriers, wood decay, and mold growth. Most homeowners have never been in their crawl space. Most buyers have never thought to ask about it. That's exactly why it's the first place I go.
Finding No. 2
Roof Moss and Algae That's Further Along Than It Looks
Moss on roofs is so common in the Pacific Northwest that many buyers — and even some sellers — assume it's just cosmetic. It isn't. By the time moss is visible from the ground, it's often been working its way under shingles for years, trapping moisture, degrading roofing materials, and shortening the life of the roof significantly.
What looks like a light dusting of green from the curb can reveal itself as deep root intrusion once you're up close — or in the case of drone inspection, from directly above. I've seen roofs that appeared to be in decent shape from street level that needed full replacement because moss had compromised the underlayment underneath.
Finding No. 3
Wood Rot Hiding in Plain Sight
Wood rot is one of the most underestimated findings in a home inspection — not because it's rare, but because it blends in. Painted trim, caulked window frames, and finished siding can conceal rot that's been progressing for years. Buyers walk past it every showing. Sellers often don't know it's there.
In our wet climate, any area where water is allowed to repeatedly contact wood — window sills, door frames, deck ledger boards, fascia and soffit — is a candidate for rot. What starts as a soft spot becomes structural deterioration if left unaddressed. I probe suspect areas during every inspection and regularly find rot that was completely invisible until pressure was applied.
Finding No. 4
Aging Electrical Panels That Are a Liability
A significant number of homes in the South Puget Sound area were built in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s — and many still have their original electrical panels. Some of these panels were manufactured by companies whose products have since been identified as problematic. Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels, for example, have well-documented histories of breaker failure and fire risk.
Beyond brand-specific concerns, older panels simply weren't designed to handle the electrical load of a modern home — multiple TVs, EV chargers, home offices, smart appliances. Buyers are often shocked to find that a home they're about to purchase has an electrical panel that an insurance company may refuse to cover or require replacement before issuing a policy.
Finding No. 5
Inadequate Attic Ventilation and What It's Doing to Your Roof
Most buyers never think about the attic. It's not a living space, there's nothing to look at from below, and unless there's an obvious leak, it rarely comes up in conversation before an inspection. But what's happening in that attic can directly impact the lifespan of the roof above it — and the air quality of the home below it.
Poor attic ventilation traps heat and moisture. In winter, warm air from the living space rises into the attic and condenses on cold surfaces — leading to moisture accumulation, wood decay, and mold growth on the underside of the roof decking. In summer, an unventilated attic can reach temperatures that literally cook shingles from below, cutting years off their functional life. This is one of those findings where the damage is already done by the time most people find out about it.
