Lots of investors get the sewer line scoped as part of the escrow process. There are also insurance policies for this specifically.
and so I’ve heard it’s an excellent contingency for the “normal” person to have in escrow. I believe once damage is uncovered the seller would have to disclose to the next potential buyer and thus be motivated to make a deal to not lose their current escrow contract. Scoped lines aren’t that expensive when considering potential cost for repair and functioning drains don’t mean there isn’t any root intrusion.
my dads less scientific trick was to turn on every faucet/shower and then flush all toilets at the same time to stress the connection. I did that for my house during the viewing. we also brought along a kid with crohns who tried his best to clog the toilets (and evaluate the elbow room), too.
A home warranty type coverage would cover wear n tear, and those tend to be crap as well.
home warranty experience sucked for me. got it for free in closing but every claim I made they rejected due to caveats in the contract (device has electrical controller thus not covered, etc) and have to use their chosen workers they use to assess the work.
felt like a hustle and forced to play with shoddy companies. you pay upfront for the estimate and only if covered do they actually do any work. tried to make two claims and determined it was easier and more honest to hire the trusted plumber my neighbors use.