Buying a Home in a Chicagoland Winter? Here's What the Inspection Might Not Be Able to Check

Winter house hunting in Chicagoland has real perks. Buyers who are out in January are usually serious, and you get to see how a home handles the cold. But there's a trade-off nobody mentions at the showing: winter weather can limit what your home inspector is able to check. After 25 years in real estate, I'd rather you hear that from me now than from a contractor next July.

Here's the plain-English version of what the rules say, what snow and cold can hide, and how buyers and sellers can plan around it.

What Illinois actually requires of a home inspector

Illinois licenses home inspectors, and the state's rules set minimum standards of practice. A few details matter a lot in winter. (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1410.200)

• "Inspect" means a visual look at readily accessible parts of the home. The rule defines readily accessible as available without moving personal property, dismantling anything, or doing something likely to risk people or property.
• Inspectors aren't required to operate a system that's shut down or that won't turn on with the normal controls, like the thermostat.
• The report must note the weather at the time of the inspection and describe the methods used to inspect the roof.

That last point is your best friend. If the report says it was 18 degrees and the roof was snow-covered, that's the inspector telling you what they could and couldn't see.

Many inspectors also follow the American Society of Home Inspectors' standard. It says an inspector isn't required to move snow, ice or debris, isn't required to walk on roofs, and isn't required to perform procedures likely to damage the property or its systems. (ASHI Standard of Practice)

What winter can hide

The roof. A blanket of snow covers shingles, flashing and gutters. An inspector may look from the ground, from a ladder or with a drone, but if it's buried, it's buried. Look inside too: water stains on ceilings and in the attic tell a story snow can't hide.

The air conditioning. On a cold day, an inspector may decide not to run the central air because it could damage the equipment. That means you could own the home for months before you ever turn it on. Ask your inspector up front whether they'll be able to test it, and what they'll look at if they can't.

The yard and grading. Snow can hide how the ground slopes around the foundation, the condition of walks and driveways, and where downspouts actually send water.

Exterior faucets and sprinklers. In a properly winterized home, outdoor hose bibs and sprinkler lines are often shut off and drained, so they may not get tested.

Buyers: how to protect yourself

1. Read the weather and roof lines in the report. Anything marked "not inspected" or "limited" deserves a follow-up question.
2. Read the seller's disclosure carefully. Illinois sellers of most homes with 1 to 4 units fill out the Residential Real Property Disclosure Report before the contract is signed. It asks whether they're aware of leaks or material defects in the roof, ceilings or chimney, and of material defects in the heating, air conditioning or ventilating systems, among other things. (765 ILCS 77/35) The form itself says the seller not being aware of a problem is no guarantee it doesn't exist.
3. Ask for paperwork. Service records for the furnace and air conditioner, and the age of the roof, can fill in gaps the inspection couldn't.
4. Talk to your attorney about anything that couldn't be checked. In Illinois, buyers and sellers usually have attorneys, and how to handle untested items is a conversation to have with yours before your inspection window closes.

Sellers: make it easy on the inspector

A smooth winter inspection helps you, too. Fewer "couldn't check" notes means fewer nervous buyers.

• Keep the heat on, even if the home is vacant. The American Red Cross recommends leaving the heat on at no lower than 55°F when you're away in cold weather to help prevent frozen pipes. (American Red Cross)
• Keep the utilities on so every system can be operated with normal controls.
• Clear paths and access: shovel walks, and make sure the attic hatch, electrical panel, furnace and water heater aren't blocked by boxes.
• Pull together receipts for the roof, furnace and air conditioner. Records are a lot more reassuring than "it worked fine last summer."

The bottom line

Winter doesn't make a home a bad buy, and it doesn't make it a bad time to sell. It just means everyone should know what the inspection did and didn't cover, and plan for the gaps instead of discovering them later.

If you're buying or selling anywhere in Chicago or the surrounding Illinois suburbs this winter, I'm happy to walk you through it. I offer full-service representation with a 1% total commission for sellers, and I'll help you line up the right people for anything your inspection couldn't check. Call or text me at 312.882.9797.

This is general information, not legal advice. Talk to your attorney and your home inspector about your specific property.