Why a Home Inspection – Protect Your Investment
Your offer has just been accepted on your dream home, now you need a home inspector. Many Realtor’s will supply you with the names of their favorite home inspector or recommend as many as three local home inspectors. Whether you take your Realtor’s advice or you find your own home inspector, through friends advice or online, there is some information you should verify before hiring a home inspector.
In Ontario there is no requirement for a home inspector to be licensed. There are professional associations that most professional inspectors belong to, you can go online to view their
requirements for membership. Prior experience is a good starting question when interviewing a prospective home inspector, a registered builder obviously will have more knowledge than a factory worker. Professional qualifications from Provincial Organizations are also indicate a higher level of professionalism than some online courses which issue great looking certificates but are a little short in actual knowledge. The number of home inspections and years in business are absolutely the most defining question you can ask.
Because buying a home is one of the biggest investments that most people will make you should plan to attend the home inspection and bring a pad and pencil with you. A good home inspection also gives you invaluable details about your new home in addition to information about the condition of the property. You’ll learn where the main shutoff valves to the utilities are located, how the house operates and more! Asking questions during the home inspection will ensure you are completely aware of any issues that may have come up after you moved in. Remember a educated consumer is a smart consumer.
Some of the items your home inspector looks for which can affect the sale of the home are:
Drainage Issues – Poor landscaping can cause wood rot, wet basements and crawlspaces and even mould growth. Most drainage issues are caused by poor downspout location or damaged gutters. Simply re-grading area around the house can repair most drainage issues. Most home owners are un-aware that water is a natural compactor of soil and will continually lower the grade in an area where it is allowed to pool.
Foundations – Responsible for distributing the houses load to the footing, this is an important part of your home structure. Crumbling or large cracks in the concrete can signal expensive repairs maybe required. Wet or leaking foundations can indicate high water tables or drainage issues.
Roofs – Builders grade roof shingles rarely last much beyond 18 years and typically will always fail on the south side of roof first. Homebuyers buying a home that is around 15 years old can expect to pay for shingle replacement in near future. Replacing shingles on a home is a required maintenance expense that should be budgeted for by home owners and buyers. Beware of double layer shingles, although legally acceptable in Ontario, the added cost of removal and dump fees will just be passed on to the next roof re-shingling.
Electrical Wiring – Aluminum wiring in a home, although still legal, cannot be insured by some insurance companies. Some insurance companies will require it be completely removed prior to issuing a home policy. Some older homes still have older two wire copper wiring with no ground wire or even worse, knob and tube wiring still installed. It is amazing how many times a house will have a new panel, new romex wiring throughout the house and when the attic is inspected there is still one or two live knob and tube circuits. This are exactly the type of things homebuyers need to know prior to purchasing a home. The absolute worst case scenario for home buyers is the renovated basement with no electrical permits and all the work done by homeowner. This is where you will typically find poor workmanship and even life safety issues which could have shocking results.
Plumbing – Water runs downhill, should be pretty simple, but that is not always the case. Although seeming a pretty simple task plumbing is definitely beyond the scope of some people. Improper venting is probably one of the most common deficiencies found when inspecting a home which has had renovations. Missing traps on plumbing drain lines is also quite a common occurrence even though it can allow sewer gas into your home. Many people are unaware that your washing machine is required to have an air gap at the drain to prevent siphoning. Improper Tee used on toilet drain lines are also quite common, the list just goes on and on.
Building Permit – If a home has been renovated and no building permit was taken out, you can safely assume that the hidden electrical, plumbing and building envelope were not inspected prior to being enclosed. Your home inspector will advise you of the possibilities but ultimately it is your decision, which you base on information given to you. Remember, CAVEAT EMPTOR – BUYER BEWARE, once you move in it is hard, if not impossible, to get any repairs done or money back from the seller.
As part of your home inspection you can have a wood burning appliance WETT Certified for only $75.00. Most insurance companies now require you to have your Fireplace, Wood Stove or Pellet Stove inspected by a WETT Certifed Inspector prior to issuing you a home insurance policy.