A home inspection is a comprehensive visual examination of the physical structure and systems of a home, from the foundation to the roof. Some of the systems are; heating, cooling, roof, building envelope, cladding, HRV, plumbing, electrical and roofs. A home inspector is trained to be a detective in regard to the construction and working parts of homes. Your modern home inspector is trained in his Province's Building Codes and is often a member of professional organizations reflecting training and education in building codes.
When selecting your home inspector there are a number of items you should base your decision on. Some of these are; what training does he have; what was his previous background; is he registered with any professional organizations; how long has he been in business; how many home inspections has he done and ask for recommendations from a couple of people for every year he has been in business.
The last thing you want is a brand new home inspector. A brand new inspection may be the most expensive thing you you'll ever buy, it may cost you thousands of dollars down the road because of missed or overlooked defects. In-experienced inspectors often know less and do less, which is one reason why they're cheap. There are even some inspectors who won't go into your crawl space or attic. With Certainty, you'll know what the condition of your attic and crawl space is because we will go into them unless for some reason we cannot access them.
In Barrie ON, most Realtors, are bound by ethics to recommend at least three home inspectors, some buyer prefer to arrange for their own home inspector. Most real estate agencies work on an average commission of 6% paid by the seller of the property. On a house selling for $350,000 there is a potential commission of $21,000. Sometimes a selling agent will recommend particular home inspectors to a prospective buyer, sometimes a list of three is given out. Who are these recommended inspectors? How did they "qualify" to get on the "approved" list of the agent? Is the agent recommending a thorough non-bias inspector or is the agent recommending someone who will help protect the potential $21,000 commission? Unfortunately, some real estate agents view a thorough and non-bias home inspection as a threat to their sales commission.
If a home inspection reveals problems it does not necessarily mean you should not purchase the home. The home inspection is meant to educate you in advance of the purchase of the condition of the property. Quite often, a home inspection and its findings become a vital tool in the negotiation process between the buyer and seller of the property. A home inspector is barred by law from providing an opinion to the question "should I buy this house?" or "if it were you, would you buy this house?" Ultimately it is up to the buyer, their agent, and the attorney to decide which inspection items you wish to pursue for repairs or credits. It is suggested that you try to avoid minor items and pursue the larger items in order to avoid unnecessary conflicts. Keep in mind that there is no such thing as a "perfect house" and all homes have some type(s) of deficiencies. It is your responsibility to be an informed buyer. You should always be sure the house you purchase is satisfactory. A careful examination of your potential new home is crucial in this process and could save you a great deal of money in the long run. Potential problems that are identified in the inspection will often require further evaluation by specific specialists (i.e. HVAC professionals, Electrical Contractors, Roofing Specialists) to determine courses of action for repair/replacement or cost estimates. The inspector is not a specialist, but is rather a generalist, with training and education which can help them identify potential problems with the major systems of your home.
Generating home inspection reports is critical to the success of any inspector. It is very important to take advantage of technology and software, especially in this current economy. Also, nowadays everything is done at a faster pace than results are expected more quickly than ever. This makes using and choosing the right software and having a server available to put your report online. Most modern home inspectors have their own server and websites which allows you to always have access to your report. Most inspection reports are too big to print and can just as easily be viewed on line and saved as PDF file for future reference. The more detailed the report, the more protection for you if something goes wrong.
When selecting your home inspector there are a number of items you should base your decision on. Some of these are; what training does he have; what was his previous background; is he registered with any professional organizations; how long has he been in business; how many home inspections has he done and ask for recommendations from a couple of people for every year he has been in business.
The last thing you want is a brand new home inspector. A brand new inspection may be the most expensive thing you you'll ever buy, it may cost you thousands of dollars down the road because of missed or overlooked defects. In-experienced inspectors often know less and do less, which is one reason why they're cheap. There are even some inspectors who won't go into your crawl space or attic. With Certainty, you'll know what the condition of your attic and crawl space is because we will go into them unless for some reason we cannot access them.
In Barrie ON, most Realtors, are bound by ethics to recommend at least three home inspectors, some buyer prefer to arrange for their own home inspector. Most real estate agencies work on an average commission of 6% paid by the seller of the property. On a house selling for $350,000 there is a potential commission of $21,000. Sometimes a selling agent will recommend particular home inspectors to a prospective buyer, sometimes a list of three is given out. Who are these recommended inspectors? How did they "qualify" to get on the "approved" list of the agent? Is the agent recommending a thorough non-bias inspector or is the agent recommending someone who will help protect the potential $21,000 commission? Unfortunately, some real estate agents view a thorough and non-bias home inspection as a threat to their sales commission.
If a home inspection reveals problems it does not necessarily mean you should not purchase the home. The home inspection is meant to educate you in advance of the purchase of the condition of the property. Quite often, a home inspection and its findings become a vital tool in the negotiation process between the buyer and seller of the property. A home inspector is barred by law from providing an opinion to the question "should I buy this house?" or "if it were you, would you buy this house?" Ultimately it is up to the buyer, their agent, and the attorney to decide which inspection items you wish to pursue for repairs or credits. It is suggested that you try to avoid minor items and pursue the larger items in order to avoid unnecessary conflicts. Keep in mind that there is no such thing as a "perfect house" and all homes have some type(s) of deficiencies. It is your responsibility to be an informed buyer. You should always be sure the house you purchase is satisfactory. A careful examination of your potential new home is crucial in this process and could save you a great deal of money in the long run. Potential problems that are identified in the inspection will often require further evaluation by specific specialists (i.e. HVAC professionals, Electrical Contractors, Roofing Specialists) to determine courses of action for repair/replacement or cost estimates. The inspector is not a specialist, but is rather a generalist, with training and education which can help them identify potential problems with the major systems of your home.
Generating home inspection reports is critical to the success of any inspector. It is very important to take advantage of technology and software, especially in this current economy. Also, nowadays everything is done at a faster pace than results are expected more quickly than ever. This makes using and choosing the right software and having a server available to put your report online. Most modern home inspectors have their own server and websites which allows you to always have access to your report. Most inspection reports are too big to print and can just as easily be viewed on line and saved as PDF file for future reference. The more detailed the report, the more protection for you if something goes wrong.
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Learn more about Barrie's Best Home Inspections. Stop by www.infared-detection.com site. Looking at a new home then call Barrie's Best Home Inspector to protect your investment.
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