That seller's disclosure about knob and tube wiring made me back out of a deal in 24 hours

I was all set to put an offer on a cute 1920s bungalow in Decatur. Loved the hardwood floors, the big porch, everything. Then I overheard my realtor talking to the listing agent at the open house. She said 'yeah the wiring is original, we had an inspector in there last month.' That sent me down a rabbit hole googling knob and tube insurance rules. Found out most companies in Georgia won't even insure a house with active knob and tube unless you replace it. That's like $8k minimum. I walked away the next morning. Has anyone else run into this surprise with older homes?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_sean12d agoMost Upvoted

Picked up on the same pattern with my parents' house last year - you can't trust that a house is fine just because it's been standing for 100 years. That's the thing nobody talks about, these old houses hide expensive surprises behind all the charm.

emma_smith12d ago

Yeah you're right about the insurance thing. When I bought my 1920s craftsman in Virginia-Highland, two different agents straight up told me they wouldn't touch the policy unless we had a licensed electrician come out and certify the whole thing was dead and disconnected. Even then they still wanted photos.