Home Inspection Considerations.

September 18th, 2009by : Shaun NilssonNo Comments
Home Inspection Considerations.
When submitting an offer on a property, especially freehold homes, it is common for a buyer to request a home inspection as a condition of sale. A home inspection is an opportunity for the buyer to have a professional closely examine the condition of the property and make them aware of any potential problems that may exist, before committing to the purchase.

A home inspection can be valuable for any number of reasons, and the whole report should be carefully considered by the buyer. However, there are a few notes that often require extra attention when looking over the inspector’s report – and they may not be what you’d intuitively expect.

Here are some ares of particular importance:

Home Inspection(1) Knob and Tube Wiring. Does the house have an out of date electrical system? If so, the buyer should beware. This is not simply a matter of “oh well, we’ll fix it later”. In fact, properties with this type of electrical installation will not be approved for home insurance, making them ineligible for a mortgage from conventional lenders. Yikes!

(2) Amount and Type of Insulation. A careful inspection will reveal the amount and type of insulation in a prospective property. Not only do builders occasionally use less insulation than is sufficient, but also there are older forms that have been deemed environmentally unsafe and should be removed.

(3) Leaking Foundation. Inspecting the basement for dampness or signs that water has leaked through in the past, such as staining on the walls, will go a long way toward ensuring you don’t have a very expensive fix down the road.

(4) Termites. These can be an especially persistent and common problem in Leslieville and the Beach neighbourhoods of Toronto. Termites are hard to get rid of and can cause expensive damage, plus even a successful removal does not guarantee they won’ t be back again. Beware!

Most of the time, a home inspection will simply provide the peace of mind that your new home is well maintained and no immediate repairs are necessary. It is important, however, to keep an eye out for these and other problems which could present trouble in the future. Because of this, I always recommend a home inspection when placing an offer and not in buyer competition.

Please call me when you’d like to start searching for your next perfect home, and we can discuss further.

Until next time,

Shaun Nilsson
1-888-712-7888

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