Home Inspections

A home inspection is an objective identification of materials defects in the systems, structure and the components of the house in adherence to provincial, national and industry standards and regulations. Whether you are a seller, buyer, mortgage broker, real estate agent or a lending institution, an inspection done by a certified home inspector gives you first hand knowledge on the true condition of the home.

A professional home inspection is very important since the home is the largest investment that people make. Homebuyers want to secure and protect their investment so they would order a house inspection. If sellers know beforehand about defects, they can attend to these defects right away or inform buyers who come to look at the house. If the inspection reveals major expensive problems, the sellers unwilling to take the expense, can lessen the asking price to compensate the buyers.

Here is what home inspections tell you, whether you are a buyer or a seller.

1. Home inspections could tell you that there are wood destroying pests present in the home. A pest inspection will reveal not just termite presence or powder post beetles, but also reveals dry rot.

2. Inspections will make sure that the smoke is discharged properly in the chimney. An older chimney does not have flue liners or the brick inside may be crumbling.

3. An electrical inspection could inform you that the electrical box is old and that it no longer complies with the present city code. An electrician can advise you about the best brands to replace it with and its cost.

4. In a home inspection, furnaces have to be taken apart to determine if there is a crack in the heat exchanger of to find out why it is malfunctioning. An HVAC specialist can tell you what is wrong and how much would it cost to have it fixed or have it replaced.

5. You can have the home tested for lead-based paint. To have it removed, you can hire a certified lead abatement contractor to do the job. This could cause problems if the home inspector determines lead-based paint content in the house.

6. Inspections also verify the area of your home. Public records could contain errors on the exact square footage of the property. You can do your calculations yourself or hire an appraiser.

7. A home inspector could tell you if the home was built on raised foundation or slab, but for a thorough inspection, you can hire a foundation engineer who could tell if the home's foundation is faulty or if it is sliding.

8. Roof inspections could reveal if the roof needs to be replaced. The roof is important since you have plumbing there, and the pipes come out of the roof. Roof problems usually occur between the sixth and ninth year of the life span of your roof. You usually get a 25-30 year roof life expectancy.

9. An inspection of the water systems and plumbing is very important. It can reveal if the plumbing needs to be replaced and could tell you if the galvanized pipes are clogged to the extent that it is even impossible to fit a pencil lead through it.

10. The inspector could tell you if there is mold present in your home. Molds can trigger health problems. Molds can be tested in the home by testing the quality of the air around.

Home inspections reveal so much more than the exterior look of the house. An inspection does not only benefit the buyer, but also the seller because any possible defects could cause delay to the purchase of a home. Therefore, it is very important that as a seller, you should do a home inspection before you start showing off your home to prospective buyers.