Home Inspections

How important are they?

By Dianne Guzik The Art of Home Inspection

You have been pounding the pavement to get a home. You may have gone through the offer process several times only to face another disappointment. You’ve over bid, waived conditions ( including a home inspection) got your parents to co-sign and even fork over a chunk of their retirement, resorted to writing the seller a letter in the hopes they’ll consider you. It’s all heart breaking.

But let’s consider what a home inspection is and why it’s important. Its primary purpose is to give the purchaser the information needed to make an informed decision to buy or not. Yes, a home inspection looks at the condition and functionality of the home and property, but it also looks at safety, maintenance issues and service life of appliances.

Ask if the inspector belongs to a professional association - there are provincial, national and international associations. Provincial is a first standard and national a plus. Does the association require a police check, continuing annual education and E & O insurance? This is the inspector’s greatest cost and the reason for the price of an inspection.

The comment I hear often is, “that’s a lot of money for three hours work.” There are other associated costs. The report usually takes twice the time of the inspection or longer. Added research may be necessary. With new construction materials, building code changes and product fails, continued education is a must. That means taking time from your business, the cost of the course, added travel etc. Another point - having a trade is good but that does not make the inspector good. Remember, there is more than one trade involved to build a house so there is a need for all of the above.

One thing that doesn’t get enough attention is building science: how do the home systems work together. What may be working fine right now may not be fine when you make a change. For example, adding insulation can change conditions on the inside, like excess moisture issues. The warm moist air no longer escapes the way it used to. An HVAC adjustment can remedy this. I’ve seen this in older homes that have been upgraded and brand new builds where the installed system needed adjusting.

Quick Inspections: Also called walk and talks, walk through, four or five point inspections, single issue inspection. They are allowed for insurance inspections “only”. No, they are not better than nothing and any inspector caught doing so risks the loss of his/ her insurance and being kicked out of the association. Don’t get taken and don’t waste your money. A good Home Inspector works for you, their client and no one else.