Insight to a Home Inspection – by Roger Frost

There are many Associations for Home Inspectors to belong to in Canada and the U.S.   Most Home Inspection Associations require their members to follow  their Standards of Practice and follow their Code of Ethics.  These are both available on every professional home inspection association website.

The typical Standards of Practice are the typical minimum standards of performance and will also define and clarify the purpose, terms, conditions, exclusions related to the home inspection.  The Standard Code of Ethics usually  lays out the home inspectors duty to act in a fair, honest and unbiased manner when conducting a home inspection.   This is where a Realtor giving business to a “favorite home inspector” because of “favorable reports” would be considered unethical.

Typical Standards of Practice do not vary much between Associations, although some try to influence potential clients by calling their Standards “National Standards” or other inflated titles.  Every home inspector basically looks at every visible item in your home and notes deficiency and will usually suggest a corrective action.  Some home inspectors offer extra services such as Thermal Imaging or Mould Testing.  Experience is still considered the biggest asset a home inspector can have.

Wikipedia defines a  home inspection as:  ” A home inspection is a limited, non-invasive examination of the condition of a home, often in connection with the sale of that home. Home inspections are usually conducted by a home inspector who has the training and certifications to perform such inspections. The inspector prepares and delivers to the client a written report of findings. The client then uses the knowledge gained to make informed decisions about their pending real estate purchase. The home inspector describes the condition of the home at the time of inspection but does not guarantee future condition, efficiency, or life expectancy of systems or components.”

This is a Standard “Boiler plate” type of description that most professional home inspectors have included in their Pre-Inspection Agreement which they will require the client to sign before conducting the inspection.  The Pre-Inspection Agreement will usually stipulate what and what not is included in the inspection.  Having a client sign a Pre-Inspection Agreement does not protect a home inspector  from negligence in performing their duties though.

A Professional Home Inspection will usually start of the roof, which in Canada, can only fully be inspected for about nine months of the year, due to ice and snow coverage.  Veteran Realtors will usually have the dates available when the roof was last re-shingled when applicable.  The Exterior of home is then visually inspected with attention being paid to grading and any probable water concerns. The cladding, windows, doors, exterior electrical, exterior decks and patios are all inspected for deficiencies and pictures are taken of any issues or problems noted.

The basement is the hub of your homes systems and this is where you should pay close attention to what your home inspector is looking at and ask questions about anything you are un-sure of.  You heating, a/c, plumbing, hot water, structural, electrical systems are typically located in your basement and this means that a lot of money you  are investing is located there.

Another  important feature involving basement inspections is the famous, “Do It Yourself” renovation.  The majority of home owners do not obtain a “Building Permit” for basement renovations.  This immediately tells the home inspector that the framing, electrical, plumbing and insulation etc was never inspected prior to being covered with drywall etc.  This common occurrence can have huge ramifications to the home buyer, such as;  problems in future with Building Department, incorrectly installed plumbing or electrical which may require changes or replacement.   A great example of this  is when homeowner uses steel framing but does not use proper grommets or hold offs for electrical cable.  To repair this the entire wall would have to be opened up to install the electrical cables correctly.  Some homeowners will tap of bus bars on main panel rather than upgrade service panel which again can be an expensive repair to bring panel up to electrical code requirements.

Plumbing is another area where “Do It Yourself” home owners excel at.  Illegal venting and lack of venting are frequent offenders.   Hooking up sump pumps  into municipal drains can get you a hefty fine from your municipality if caught.  Whether plumbing, heating or electrical deficiencies, it seems some home owners are only restricted by their imaginations when installing or modifying  a homes systems.

The list of deficiencies your home inspector may find in any home is too long to detail.  This is why hiring an experience home inspector is a great investment decision when purchasing a home.  The home inspection fee is worth the Peace of Mind you will receive after reading your report.   Just one identified deficiency in any of homes major systems would most likely save you a lot more money than you ever would pay for a home inspection.  The Home Buyer always has to keep in mind that Home Inspectors are not psychic and cannot un-cover a deficiency if the Home Seller is actively covering up or hiding deficiencies.   Even water leaks in basements can be hidden by patching and fresh paint and if they don’t declare their knowledge when listing their home, the home buyer may be in for a nasty surprise in the Spring.

Many people are complaining about the use or value of the SPIS.  This form,  promoted by the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA), the seller’s property information statement (SPIS) continues to be a source of never-ending business for litigation lawyers and endless grief for unlucky buyers and sellers who are being swept into the bottomless pit of lawsuits because they used it.

CAVEAT EMPTOR – BUYER BEWARE   An educated consumer is a smart consumer!