My buyer's inspection on a house in Dilworth turned up knob and tube wiring with active cloth insulation

I was walking through a 1920s bungalow near East Boulevard last month and the seller's agent had the nerve to say it was updated electrical when the inspector found the original fuse panel still spliced into the breaker box, so I made sure my client got their earnest money back and we moved on to a better property in Plaza Midwood, has anyone else dealt with sellers lying about old wiring in those historic homes?

2 comments

2 Comments

karen2757d ago

Oh yeah, "updated electrical" is code for "we painted over the fuse box and hoped you wouldn't look too close." I swear some of these sellers think cloth wiring is a vintage feature right up there with original hardwood floors. I had one listing agent tell me with a straight face that knob and tube was "period appropriate charm." Yeah, charming until your house burns down. At least you got your client out of there, that's a win. Plaza Midwood sounds like a much better bet unless they're also hiding knob and tube behind some fresh drywall.

taylor.betty7d ago

The 1920s bungalow near East Boulevard with a "updated" fuse panel spliced in is exactly the kind of thing that drives me nuts. I knew a couple last year who bought a cottage in Dilworth and didn't catch the cloth wiring until after closing, now they're stuck with a gut renovation just to get insurance. @karen275 is right on the money about how some agents will call anything "updated" if the paint is fresh. Good for you for getting that earnest money back and finding them something better in Plaza Midwood, that area has way more reliable construction from the 1940s and 50s. It just stinks that buyers have to be detectives on top of everything else these days.

-1