James Mulleady

Living in Wisconsin and our seasons can pose a challenge with inspections. Snow is definitely one of them. Can you inspect a home with a foot of snow on the ground? Yes it can be done. It is not as thorough but it can be done. Home inspectors these days are armed with drones and can take a very good look at the roof without getting on it. If snow is in the way, a visual inspection from the outside is almost impossible. It may be possible to inspect for leaks on the inside if there is an attic or airspace though. That could be an effective way to determine if the roof is holding up or not. I still would like to see the condtion of the shingles or metal roofing. Snow also can cover up some foundation issues. Often inspectors can view things ubt sometimes they cannot. Here in the Northwoods we have other cold weather challenges. Many homeowners are part-timers and shut their homes down in the winter. This means that the water has been turned off and the pipes most likely drained and blown out. You should never turn the water on in a cold house. You could have burst piples right away. It is proper to turn the heat on first and let the house warm up for a day or two and then turn the water on.