A home inspection is not the first opportunity to learn about a property. It is the most thorough one. But by the time you are scheduling an inspector, you have likely already toured the home at least once — and that walkthrough is more valuable than most buyers realize. Knowing what to look for during a showing does not require a license or a ladder. It just requires knowing where to look.
Here are five things Central Texas buyers can catch during a tour that are worth paying attention to before anything else.
1 The Way Water Moves Around the Home
In Central Texas, drainage is everything. The clay soil that covers most of Hays, Comal, and Travis County expands dramatically when wet and contracts when dry — and a home that manages water poorly around its foundation will show you that if you know where to look.
Walk the exterior perimeter. Look at how the ground slopes around the home. It should be moving away from the foundation in every direction for at least the first several feet. If you notice soil that appears to slope toward the house, mulch beds built up against the slab, or staining on the foundation itself, those are signals worth noting.
Check the downspouts. Are they directing water away from the home or dumping it directly against the slab? Look for white mineral deposits or staining along the exterior walls beneath gutters — that is evidence of water running where it should not.
If it has rained recently, this becomes even easier. Standing water near the foundation that has not drained after several hours is one of the clearest warning signs a buyer can spot on their own.
2 Doors and Windows That Do Not Quite Work
This is one of the most reliable low-tech indicators of foundation movement, and it is something you can check yourself in about five minutes.
Open and close every interior door you can access. A door that sticks, binds, swings open on its own, or does not latch without extra effort is telling you the frame has shifted. In a Central Texas home that has been through a few drought and rain cycles, this kind of movement is common — but the degree matters.
Do the same with windows. A window that is difficult to open or will not stay open without being propped is worth flagging. Look at the corners of door and window frames for diagonal cracks. These cracks typically run at a 45-degree angle from the corner of the opening and are a direct indicator of differential movement in the foundation beneath.
3 The Smell of the Home
Most buyers notice this on the way in and then stop paying attention to it. Do not.
A musty smell in any part of the home — especially in closets, bathrooms, laundry rooms, or near any exterior walls — is one of the most reliable early indicators of a moisture problem. Mold does not always announce itself visually. It often announces itself through the air first.
Pay attention to the garage as well. A garage that smells musty or damp when it has not recently had wet cars or gear in it suggests moisture intrusion — possibly from drainage issues at the driveway or from the slab itself.
In Central Texas, where we have now seen back-to-back years of significant rainfall following drought cycles, moisture intrusion in unexpected places is more common than it was five years ago. Your nose is a legitimate diagnostic tool.
4 The Condition of the Roof From the Ground
You do not need to get on the roof to observe things worth noting. Stand back from the home and look at the roofline from the street.
A roofline that sags or dips in the middle of a run suggests structural issues beneath the decking. Missing or visibly curling shingles are easy to spot from the ground and indicate age or storm damage. Look at the edges of the roof — fascia boards that appear dark, soft, or stained suggest gutters have been overflowing and water has been sitting against the wood.
Look for any patches — areas where the shingles look newer or a different color than the surrounding material. This can indicate a repair was made, which raises the question of whether it was made properly and whether there is an underlying issue that the repair addressed or simply concealed.
Central Texas roofs take a beating. Hail, heat cycling, and high UV exposure age shingles faster here than in most parts of the country. A roof that is over 15 years old and has not been replaced is worth flagging for your inspector regardless of how it looks from the ground.
5 What the Neighbors' Homes Are Telling You
This one sounds unusual but it is genuinely useful. Before you leave the showing, take a slow look at the homes immediately adjacent to the one you are considering.
If multiple homes on the block have visible foundation cracks, stair-step brick cracking, or obvious settling, that is neighborhood-level soil information. It tells you that the specific clay composition and drainage patterns in that area have been stressing foundations systematically — not just at one house.
Conversely, if neighboring homes of similar age appear well-maintained and structurally sound, that is a positive contextual signal. You are looking at what the soil and drainage environment does to homes in that specific location over time.
Also notice the trees. Mature live oaks and pecan trees — common across Central Texas — have root systems that actively seek water. A large tree within 15 to 20 feet of the home is worth noting as a potential factor in both foundation movement and sewer line condition. That is not a reason to walk away from a home. It is a reason to get a sewer scope and a thorough foundation evaluation.
Bonus: Photograph Every Room From the Corners
This has nothing to do with inspections and everything to do with not leaving a showing wishing you had better photos. When you find a home you are serious about, take your photos from the corners of each room rather than from the doorway. A corner shot captures two walls, the ceiling, and the floor in a single frame — giving you a complete picture of the space that a doorway shot never can. You will leave with photos that actually show you what the room looks like rather than a collection of partial views you have to mentally piece together later.
There is nothing worse than driving home from a tour excited about a house and realizing your photos do not show you the angle you keep trying to remember. Shoot from the corners and you will have everything you need to revisit the space from your couch.
None of This Replaces the Inspection
What you observe during a tour is context — it helps you ask better questions and walk into your inspection more prepared. A licensed inspector with the right tools will always see more than you can during a showing. But buyers who pay attention during the tour arrive at the inspection with sharper instincts and leave with better understanding of what the findings mean for their specific property.
If you are buying a home in Austin, San Antonio, New Braunfels, Buda, San Marcos, Dripping Springs, Lockhart, or Wimberley and want an inspector who will walk you through every finding in plain terms, reach out. We would love to work with you.