If you're buying or selling a home built before the 1980s in Lubbock, the inspection report is going to be a longer read than you'd like. That's not a reason to panic. Most older homes around here — the brick ranches in Maxey Park, the bungalows in Heart of Lubbock, the mid-century places off 34th — have a handful of predictable issues. Knowing what tends to show up on a home inspection in Lubbock helps both sides keep the deal on the rails instead of letting a scary-sounding report blow it up.
Here's what I see come back on report after report, and how to think about each one.
Foundation movement (thanks, caliche)
Lubbock sits on expansive clay and caliche soils that swell when wet and shrink when dry. Combine that with our drought-flood-drought weather pattern and you get foundations that move. On older slab homes you'll often see:
- Hairline cracks in drywall above doorways
- Sticking interior doors
- Small step cracks in exterior brick, especially at corners
- Slightly out-of-level floors
A little movement is normal and not a dealbreaker. What you want to watch for is active, ongoing movement — cracks wider than a nickel, separation between brick and window frames, or doors that have been planed multiple times. If the inspector flags the foundation, the right next step is usually a structural engineer's report, not a piering company's free estimate (they sell piers — guess what they recommend).
Roof age and hail damage
West Texas hail is its own line item. Most older Lubbock homes have been re-roofed at least once or twice, and inspectors will call out:
- Granule loss on composition shingles
- Soft spots or prior patch jobs
- Flashing issues around chimneys and swamp cooler curbs
- Old turbines or vents that leak around the boot
Ask for the roof's age and whether the seller has a recent insurance claim history. A roof with a few years left isn't a crisis, but buyers should know what they're inheriting before the next big storm rolls through.
Plumbing: cast iron, galvanized, and slab leaks
Homes built before the mid-70s often have cast iron drain lines and galvanized supply lines. Both have a shelf life. Inspectors will note:
- Low water pressure (often galvanized pipes choking up internally)
- Slow drains or visible corrosion at cleanouts
- Evidence of prior slab leak repairs
A sewer scope is worth the extra hundred bucks or so on any home older than about 40 years. It's one of the few times you'd rather find a problem before closing than after.
HVAC that's seen better summers
Lubbock summers are brutal on air conditioners. Older homes commonly have:
- Original ductwork in the attic that's been baked crispy
- Undersized or oversized units from a previous owner's quick fix
- R-22 systems that are expensive to service now
- Mismatched indoor/outdoor units
If the system is more than 12-15 years old, treat it as a near-term replacement even if it's currently cooling. Knowing that up front lets buyers budget instead of feeling blindsided in July.
Electrical quirks
Older homes around here often have a mix of original wiring and DIY additions. Common flags:
- Two-prong outlets and lack of GFCI protection in kitchens/baths
- Federal Pacific or Zinsco panels (worth replacing — insurers don't love them)
- Aluminum branch wiring in homes from the mid-60s to early 70s
- Open junction boxes in attics where someone added a ceiling fan
Most of these are fixable for reasonable money. The panel itself is the one I'd negotiate hardest on.
Windows, weatherstripping, and the wind
Our wind finds every gap. Inspectors will note failed seals on double-pane windows (the foggy ones), worn weatherstripping on exterior doors, and original single-pane windows in homes that haven't been updated. None of these will kill a deal, but they affect comfort and utility bills more than people expect.
How to handle the report without blowing up the deal
For buyers: separate the report into three buckets — safety issues, big-ticket systems, and cosmetic stuff. Ask for repairs or credits on the first two. Don't nickel-and-dime the third; you'll spend goodwill you may need later.
For sellers: get ahead of it. A pre-listing inspection on an older home costs a few hundred dollars and lets you fix or disclose on your own timeline instead of under a contract clock. Buyers respond to transparency, and it shortcuts a lot of negotiation.
The goal on either side isn't a perfect house — those don't exist, especially not at 50+ years old. The goal is knowing what you're buying or selling and pricing the deal accordingly.
Let's talk through your specific home
If you've got an inspection report in hand and you're not sure what's normal Lubbock wear-and-tear versus a real problem, send it over. We're happy to walk through it with you, point out which items typically get negotiated and which usually don't, and help you figure out a reasonable ask. Reach out through the contact page at dean.agency/contact and we'll get back to you.