Key points
- For homes built before 1978, federal law gives buyers a 10-day opportunity to test for lead paint, which can be waived in writing.
- If a home uses a septic system, Massachusetts Title 5 generally requires an inspection within two years before the sale.
- A federally backed mortgage on a home in a high-risk flood zone requires flood insurance. Check the FEMA map before you offer.
- Permits, zoning and the lot boundary decide what you can add later. Check them before you rely on future plans.
Start with the general inspection
A general inspection covers structure, roof, foundation, drainage, heating and cooling, plumbing and electrical. For a house, consider specialist tests in the same window: a camera inspection of the sewer line, a chimney inspection, a radon test, and a search for buried fuel tanks where the history is unclear. The comparison guide lists the questions to ask about each system at the showing.
Lead paint
For housing built before 1978, federal rules require the seller and agents to disclose known lead-based paint and hazards, provide available reports and the EPA pamphlet, and give the buyer a 10-day opportunity to test before becoming obligated. The buyer may waive that opportunity in writing.
Massachusetts adds its own Property Transfer Lead Paint Notification, given to the buyer before the purchase and sale agreement. If a child under six will live in the home, the owner must have it deleaded or brought under interim control; a new owner has 90 days after taking title to do so. Budget for this before you commit.
Septic systems (Title 5)
Most homes in the towns Kelly covers connect to municipal sewer, but confirm it for the exact address. Where a home uses a septic system, the state’s Title 5 rules generally require an inspection within two years before the sale, or three years if the system has been pumped every year with records. If weather prevents it, the inspection may be completed up to six months after the sale, with written notice to the buyer.
A system that fails inspection must be repaired or replaced, which can be a significant cost. Who pays is negotiated; read the report before the inspection contingency ends.
Flood zones and water
Look up the address on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center before making an offer. For a home in a Special Flood Hazard Area, a mortgage from a federally regulated or insured lender requires flood insurance, which affects the monthly budget. Outside mapped zones, water can still be a risk: ask about past basement water, sump pumps and grading, and have the inspector look closely.
Fuel tanks, radon and other site items
These rarely appear in a listing description but can affect insurance, financing and cost.
- Heating oil tanks: the age and location of an above-ground tank; any sign of a buried tank, past or present
- Radon: Massachusetts does not require testing at sale, but a test during the inspection window is a common precaution
- Trees, retaining walls and shared driveways that may carry maintenance or boundary questions
- Easements and rights of way recorded against the property, which your attorney’s title review will show
Permits, zoning and the lot
Ask the local building department for the permit history and check that work you can see was permitted and closed. If you plan an addition, a finished basement or an accessory dwelling unit, read the zoning rules for setbacks, lot coverage and use before you rely on the plan. A plot plan or survey shows where the boundaries actually run.
General information for buyers of single-family homes. Specialist findings should be reviewed with your inspector and attorney within the contract deadlines.