What an inspection actually finds in a 1920s Denver bungalow

On a 1920s Denver house, the most expensive surprise is usually underground: the sewer line. I've sat through a lot of inspections on these houses. Most of what I show in Park Hill, West Highland and Hale went up between the 1890s and the 1920s, brick bungalows and Denver Squares on clay soil. They're well built, and they're old, and the same handful of things comes up on almost every report.

The sewer line

This is the big one. Nearly every 1920s house in Denver still drains through a clay tile sewer line. Clay lasts a long time, but tree roots find the joints and settling ground cracks the pipe. When it fails, someone digs up the yard, sometimes the street, and a full replacement out to the street runs five figures.

So get it scoped. A plumber runs a camera from the cleanout out to the main. It takes about an hour and costs $200 to $400. I'll set it up, and when the video and report come back I'll go through them with you. Either the line is sound, or we budget for a replacement and ask the seller to share the cost.

Knob-and-tube and ungrounded outlets

Knob-and-tube is the original wiring: cloth-covered wire strung through the walls on ceramic knobs. It's considered a fire risk, some insurers won't write a policy while it's live, and rewiring isn't cheap. Many of these houses also have two-slot outlets with no ground, which modern appliances expect. You can live with that for a while, but it goes on the list.

The inspector opens the panel and traces what they can. You can get an early read on a showing from screw-in fuses, two-slot outlets in every room, or cloth wiring in an unfinished basement ceiling. It shows up on enough 1920s reports that I'll tell you when it's worth asking the seller about before we write.

Foundations and clay soil

Most of Denver sits on expansive clay. It shrinks when it's dry and swells when it's wet, so foundations crack and settle. Every old house has some cracking. What matters is whether it's stable or still moving.

The inspector looks for horizontal cracks, stair-step cracks, bowing walls and soft spots. On a showing, notice water stains on the basement walls, or one freshly painted patch that doesn't match the rest. If the report calls for a structural engineer, that's the next step. I've read enough of these reports to help you tell a maintenance item from a real problem.

Galvanized water lines

Older houses often have galvanized steel supply lines, which rust from the inside. Pressure drops as the buildup grows, and sooner or later you repipe in copper or PEX. It isn't an emergency, but plan for it. Weak pressure in the shower is usually the first sign.

The furnace and that cloth wrap

Plenty of houses from this era still have an original or near-original furnace. It runs, but it burns more gas than a new one. If the furnace or ducts are wrapped in old cloth tape, that wrap may contain asbestos, and only a lab test tells you for sure. Left alone it's usually fine. It matters once you start remodeling.

Roof and hail

Denver gets hail, and hail damage is hard to see from the ground. The inspector checks the roof. I pull the permit records, so we'll know whether it was replaced after a big storm or never was. Hail can take years off a roof or turn into an insurance claim later.

What you can spot before the inspector

More than you'd think. Look at the basement walls for stains or cracks. Check whether the downspouts carry water away from the house. Open the panel door and see if it's breakers or fuses. Run a shower and watch whether the pressure holds. If the seller has repair receipts or an old inspection report, ask for them and I'll read them with you.

I can also tell you what tends to come up on a house this age before you spend money on an inspection. The inspector goes where you and I don't and writes the report. I'm at every inspection, and afterward I help you read it and decide what to ask for.

Walk away or negotiate

A few things are reasons to walk: active foundation movement, knob-and-tube you don't want to take on, mold or asbestos you're not comfortable living with.

Almost everything else is a negotiation. The seller fixes it, or you take a credit and fix it yourself. Old plumbing and a tired roof are normal on a house built a hundred years ago. What matters is what you're willing to own, and when.

If you're looking at an older house in Park Hill, West Highland or Hale, send me the address before you write. I'll tell you what tends to come up on a house that age, and I'll be at the inspection with you to negotiate whatever it finds.