A closer look before you buy
A home viewing can show you the layout, the light and the outdoor space. Understanding the systems that keep the property running takes a closer look.
For MexPat Guide, Gary Kaufman of Los Cabos Home Inspections shared his approach to inspecting homes and condos, including new properties being handed over to their buyers. His examples show why buyers need to make equipment available for testing, understand water and power systems, check completed repairs, and plan for the demands of Baja Sur’s coastal climate.
This conversation has been edited into a narrative from Gary’s voice messages and written follow-up answers. It describes his Los Cabos experience; the scope of any inspection should be agreed for the particular property.
Arrange the inspection and prepare the property
Gary recommends requesting a thorough inspection as soon as a buyer is under contract, whether the purchase is a resale home, a condo or a new build.
For a resale, he wants the seller to make equipment available and operational for testing. His examples include water heaters, ice makers, outdoor appliances, barbecues, exterior televisions and solar equipment. An empty propane tank is a recurring frustration: equipment cannot be demonstrated properly without the fuel it needs.
The practical preparation question is therefore specific: what needs to be accessible, connected and ready before the inspector arrives?
Look beyond finishes and furniture
Gary describes working through the property by category. On the roof, he looks for leaks and damage to roofing membranes or tiles. Around the exterior, he checks for cracks, damaged walls, erosion and irrigation issues.
Inside, he looks for signs of leaks, ceiling and wall stains, water intrusion around windows and glass doors, and indications of termites in wooden doors or cabinets. Garage doors and their openers are also part of his checks.
His account includes electrical panels, outlets, switches and exterior fixtures, along with air-conditioning thermostats, air handlers, outlet temperatures and condensers. In the kitchen, he checks appliance operation and looks for leaks. Depending on the property, his work also includes pool equipment, barbecues and fire pits.
These examples describe Gary’s service, rather than a promise that every inspector includes the same systems.
Understand the water system
Gary describes homes in his area that use a cistern, often below ground, together with a pump and pressure-control equipment. He also encounters filtration systems with sediment cartridges and ultraviolet equipment, and some homes with water-conditioning systems.
His plumbing checks cover the cistern, pump, filtration equipment, plumbing lines and fixtures. He looks for leaks and corrosion and checks hot water at fixtures.
For a buyer, his account is a reminder to understand how water reaches and moves through the home, rather than judging the system only by how a tap performs during a brief viewing.
Ask the seller about septic access
Septic systems can be difficult to assess when their location and layout are unclear. Gary says that sometimes the only readily identifiable feature is a cleanout pipe.
He emphasizes getting information from the seller about the system. The number of tanks, whether grey water is reused, and whether there is a leach field are details that should not be assumed from a quick look at an access point.
This is an area where missing information needs to be made explicit in the inspection discussion.
Include solar and backup power in the conversation
Gary reports 17 years of experience inspecting off-grid systems in Cabo. His work includes solar panels, power inverters, battery chargers and storage batteries, including lithium and older deep-cycle batteries.
He also describes some homes that operate off grid with solar, battery storage and an emergency generator. In those examples, household demand, including air conditioning, affects how the backup arrangements are used.
His experience makes solar and storage a useful topic to raise before booking an inspection: ask what the inspector will assess and how any work outside the agreed scope will be handled.
Know when a finding needs further assessment
Gary says he requests an additional expert assessment when the cause of a problem is not visible and needs further investigation. A finding is therefore a starting point for resolving the issue, even when an inspection cannot establish its cause.
His construction background includes more than 45 years working alongside structural engineers, including through his beachfront foundation business in Malibu, California. He describes discussing reinforcing steel and concrete caissons with the engineers, who performed the calculations and supplied the structural plans.
Plan for heat, salt air and termites
For Gary, understanding a property also means understanding its maintenance demands. He highlights the effects of extreme heat on exterior wood, salt air on exposed metal, and termites on wooden doors, cabinets, furniture and outdoor structures.
He urges owners to plan for ongoing maintenance and recommends a maintenance review every six months. That is his general recommendation for the conditions he encounters in Baja Sur; the work and timing depend on the property, materials and equipment.
Check hurricane protection and its installation
Gary recommends that buyers consider hurricane shutters for windows and sliding glass doors. He says he performed around 100 inspections after Hurricane Odile, observing both storm damage and failures linked to incorrectly installed shutters.
His experience makes the quality of installation an important part of the conversation. Simply seeing shutters on a property does not settle the question of how they were fitted or whether further assessment is needed.
For a new home, follow through on the punch list
Gary describes a two-stage process for new-property handovers: an initial inspection that produces a punch list of items needing attention, followed by a return visit to check the repairs.
The useful distinction is between recording a defect and verifying that it has been addressed. His emphasis is on that follow-through. The inspection discussion here does not set or change a buyer’s contractual payment obligations.
A short checklist for the inspection conversation
- Confirm which areas and systems are included, and identify access restrictions.
- Ask what the seller must have connected, supplied and ready for testing.
- Request information about the water, septic and power systems.
- Ask how untested items, unresolved findings and further specialist assessments will be documented.
- Discuss coastal maintenance and hurricane-shutter installation.
- For a new handover, establish how completed punch-list repairs will be checked.
This checklist is MexPat Guide’s editorial summary of the discussion.
About Gary Kaufman and Los Cabos Home Inspections
Gary Kaufman runs Los Cabos Home Inspections, based in Cabo San Lucas. His background includes construction, property management and building custom homes in Mexico. His website describes an inspection area extending through Los Cabos, Todos Santos, the East Cape and La Paz, with illustrated reports that explain findings to buyers. Learn more at Los Cabos Home Inspections.
About the Author
Ken Gardner develops and curates MexPat Guide from Vancouver, Canada. He focuses on Mexico relocation research and practical comparison questions. This is educational planning information, not a claim of local residence or individual immigration advice.
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