Know Your Home

01/22/2023

Incase you thought about skipping a home inspection to “save money” or “it’s not important” ..Check This Out

Do not cut corners on on one of the biggest investments of your life 💡

08/25/2022

For many people, a home inspection is only an important part of the closing process of a real estate deal.
But the truth is, the buyer should keep their inspection report in a place that he can refer to.

Once you have been in the home for a while, you might be planning on making some changes. Most people do the standard “refresh” of paint and carpet or flooring. But it’s always smart to have a quick review of the things that the home inspector may have suggested in their report as items that should be addressed in the near future.
Items such as
• reverse polarity in electrical
• troublesome cracks in parts of the foundation, or uneven sidewalks
• Soil buildup around the foundation

There are many items that should be addressed and maintained. When the heavy rains come, and you’ve built a basement renovation, you’ll be so glad you checked your report that mentioned a few things that seemed minor at the time.

Remember to check hiabc.ca to find a home inspector or ask first “Do you belong to HIABC?”

08/25/2022

HOW DO I PREPARE MY HOME FOR AN INSPECTION?

Homeowners should be aware that inspectors cannot move personal effects during the course of an inspection. Here are a few suggestions to prepare a home for an inspection:

Remove any furniture and stored material from around access panels, crawl spaces, attic hatches, electrical panel boxes, furnaces, hot water tanks and water shut-offs.

If the access panel to the crawl space or attic is in a closet, you might want to remove the clothes from that closet or cover the clothes with a sheet, in order to protect them from bits of insulation and debris that might fall down in the process of removing the access panel.

Over friendly or unfriendly dogs or other family pets can complicate the inspection process and are best keep either away from the house or in a contained space during the period of an inspection.

06/11/2022

DIDN'T GET A HOME INSPECTION - BUT GOT THE HOUSE?
You found the right house. Now it’s time to hire a home inspector to go over every inch it – inside and out – to make sure everything you see and don’t see won’t develop into major problems once you move in.

GO TO THE HIABC.ca website and choose your inspector by region. You can be confident that you’ll receive all the information you need to make an informed choice.

05/24/2022

Because most former rental houses are fixer-uppers, be sure to get a home inspection to protect yourself. You will know from your own investigation that the home needs work, but a home inspector will help to quantify the amount of repairs necessary and probably find at least a few additional problems to address.
Just because the house needs work doesn't mean that it can't be a wonderful place to live and raise a family. The term "sweat equity" is real. Buying a fixer-upper in a good neighbourhood (that isn't necessarily going through the tear-down and rebuild cycle) can be a great investment.
Look for an accredited home inspector with HIABC to help you when you’re looking to buy and want someone on your side.
Ask first, “Do you belong to HIABC?”

05/22/2022

How to Identify Red Flags

Now that you know what’s included in your report, how can you identify areas of concern? Some reports are color-coded to make reading and translating each section easier. For example, the color green indicates that everything is fine, blue represents a minor concern, yellow a moderate concern, and red translates to a major concern that needs repair. To protect yourself and your investment, there are other things to look out for when reviewing the report:

Look for words like “end of life” when referring to components such as the air conditioning system, or even the roof. This term means that items like furnaces or refrigerators are older and it might be time to replace them soon.

Check the results of the roof inspection, since this is one of the costliest items on a home. If the inspector noted that the roof is old or damaged, you may want to add a repair or replacement clause in your contract negotiations.

If the presence of water in a basement is noted, it’s certainly a red flag that should be addressed with the seller, since water can indicate a damaged structure or the presence of mold.

Notes referring to structural issues are also major red flags that can often make or break a sale.

Be aware of possible safety issues notated on your report. For example, loose railings and stairs can be a major problem.

05/19/2022

05/18/2022

Inspectors don’t only check on things that are “obvious” but many items that the homebuyer may not be thinking about when looking at their home.
• the attic and crawl space often reveal problems that have not been remedied. On a sunny and dry period, there may be issues that are hidden, such as a leaking roof, or cracked foundation that allows water to either percolate or find egress. These things can lead to costly repairs down the road.
• Safety issues. It’s pretty common to find exterior sidewalks shifting and creating trip hazards; or cracked or broken heat exchangers in the furnace; missing railings on stairs, or improper slope, which can lead to water in the home, causing potential mold problems.
• Peace of mind. Peace of mind cannot be overrated. An inspection report guarantees that you understand the condition of the home when the sale finalizes which can ultimately bring you peace of mind. All in all, you don’t want any major surprises shortly after moving into your new home.

05/18/2022

Older, but even newly-built homes should be inspected.
Mistakes made during construction can influence repairs and the resale value.
In this case (shown) four layers of roofing does not indicate professional work, or better protection.

Remember to ask first
Do you belong to HIABC?
Find your inspector at hiabc.ca

05/13/2022

• MOVING FROM ONE AREA TO ANOTHER?
• FIRST TIME HOMEOWNER?
• DOWNSIZING / UPSIZING?
It’s a great idea to spend some time doing some research. The HIABC.ca website (Home Inspectors Association of BC) has a handy “Find An Inspector’ page where you can check out inspectors who are active and conduct business in a particular area. They are all members of HIABC. That means their primary activity is being on YOUR side when you are buying a property, following a strict code of ethics and scope of inspection. They also have to adhere to the highest standards in home inspection in BC.
Find your inspector at hiabc.ca

05/13/2022

05/10/2022

It’s downright dangerous to store items in your furnace room. In many cases, home inspectors find flammable products and garbage near ducting systems. It's also important to note that restricted air flow and potential carbon monoxide problems can occur.

Fires are often started in these areas.