By the second week of December, the snow in most of Grand Traverse, Leelanau and Antrim counties tends to stay until spring, and houses keep closing the whole time. Buying a house in winter gets you fewer competing offers and, in my experience, sellers with more patience. It also gets you an inspection where a good chunk of the property is under a foot of snow.
What the snow is covering
Start with the roof. An inspector can't walk or really see a snow-covered roof, so the report will often say the roof surface wasn't visible, or it'll describe the roof from the ground with binoculars. If yours says that, take it literally. Ask the seller for the roof's age and any invoices, and talk with your agent (and your attorney, if you want specific wording) about whether the offer should leave room for a roofer to look once it thaws.
Same story with the ground.
Grading, window wells, downspout extensions, the condition of the driveway, the lid on the septic tank, a buried fuel tank if there is one. All of it is under snow, and so is the answer to whether water runs toward the foundation or away from it, which on a dry day takes about thirty seconds to see. I wouldn't assume the report covered any of that. The septic side has its own post in the well and septic inspection guide, and it matters more when you can't see the yard.
Decks, stairs and railings get a lighter look when they're iced over. Most inspectors also won't run a central air conditioner in cold weather because it can damage the equipment, so that system usually shows up as not tested. Ask yours when you book. I don't know every inspector's policy and they do differ.
What winter shows you that July can't
The furnace or boiler is working hard, so you find out which rooms stay cold and which windows leak. The edge of the roof tells you something too: a clean eave on one house and a row of long icicles on the one next door usually points at heat escaping into the attic. If the listing photos were taken in August, a January showing is the first time you see how the place behaves.
Then there's the road. Was the driveway plowed before you got there, who plows it, how long did the private road take to clear after the last storm? If you're looking at a private road, read the maintenance agreement before you write the offer. Our private roads post has what to look for. Spring has its own version of all this, which I wrote up in the mud season post.
What I'd do
I would not waive the inspection because there's snow on the ground. I'd book a morning slot so there's daylight, ask the seller to shovel the walks and keep the utilities on, and ask the inspector before the visit what they won't be able to see. Then get that list in the report in writing.
If the house has been shut down for the season, that's a different set of questions, and the winterized cottage post covers them.
I also like a second look after a thaw if closing is still a few weeks out, mostly for the roof and the grading. Not every deal has the time for that, and nobody should pass on a good house over it.
If you're watching the current listings this winter and want a second opinion before you book an inspector, send me the address. Text me at (231) 360-1510 or use the contact page, and I'll tell you what I'd want to see in the report.
Taylor Brown, Realtor
Taylor@taylorbrownrealtor.com
