The Home Inspector acts as your extra pair of eyes, able to see things about a property that may not be visible to you.

If you are buying a resale home, it’s always advisable to have it checked by a Home Inspector as a condition of purchase. This individual will inspect the property for major deficiencies, which may not always be apparent. The results are presented in a written Home Inspection Report.

A note of caution, make sure to research and interview the home inspector, as there are no provincial licensing requirements. Look for an inspector who may have previously been a builder, who has years on the job experience and/or has been referred to you by a reliable source.

The Home Inspector:

• Identifies the soundness of the structure and any improvements that have been made
• Notes any specific deficiencies and their impact on the value of the property
• Estimates the cost to correct any identified deficiencies.

A couple examples of what a home inspector may find: the age of the roof, drainage issues, cracks in the foundation, electrical issues, plumbing issues, water damage, etc. All these can be deal breakers or items to negotiate into the purchase price.