Buying A Home With No Attic Access

The home inspector told us there was no attic access we asked the previous owners and they confirmed.

Buying a home with no attic access.

Thanks for all the replies. Of course no one can inspect the interior of a chimney from the attic but an inspector can note whether the structure itself is solid within the attic space. I own a split level home with a cathedral ceiling in the living room. If the access panel is locked nailed or caulked shut then ask the seller to get it opened for you.

The portion of the chimney that isn t exposed to the elements can also weather and deteriorate. There is no attic above that part of the house. We recently bought our first house built in 1890 victorian farm house massachusetts. 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.

Sometimes a home inspector will open a secured panel if the seller gives permission and holds the inspector harmless for any damage. I can tell you that it is a real pita sometimes. We were told not to worry about it but the more and more we are thinking about it we are concerned about what is up there. If the attic access is located in an unconditioned part of the home such as a garage insulation and air sealing may not be needed.

So you should not consider buying a house that has no way to get into the attic. This is especially the case with older homes. Our living room looks similar to the one in your photo. The front half of the house has vaulted ceilings where the back does not so there is an attic up there however there is no attic access.

The home style is eclectic victorian and it is a single level. We like the rest of the home but the issue with not having attic access concerns us. This is not a good sign. The inspector did like this as there is no way to know what is up there which makes sense.

After reading we will definitely make sure to gain access to the attic. More often however the attic access is located in a closet or hallway where there s a direct pathway for air to move between the unconditioned and conditioned spaces of the home. The seller s agent and the seller have no knowledge of there ever having been attic access that being said they ve only owned the property for 8 years.