Home inspections are a fantastic way to find out what you're buying before signing on the dotted line. Put it this way, you would never buy a pair of shoes without trying them on right? You put them on, walk around, see how they feel, if they rub, or are going to cause you blisters.It is the same with a new home, it’s always good to know ahead of time what you are buying so you don't get stuck with something that is going to cost you money down the road. Even in a fast-paced market like Vancouver, where we see subject free and multiple offers, sometimes you're able to do a pre-inspection so you can still cover your bases; before signing on that line.
The homes structure is a very important part of the home. But it’s less often that we see big issues in the structure of a home, but if there are any issues, it’s critical that it be found at the beginning. Most often it's less about the home deteriorating and getting older but more about what people have done to alter or change the home. That’s where the issues come in, especially with additions and repairs not done properly. Plumbing, Heating, Drainage. What is the condition of these systems? Are they functioning now or are they at the end of their useful life? if they are at the end of their useful life there could be a big expense to replace and it's good to know ahead of time General safeties: things like railings and guards around things; how decks are built; how things are put together; items that are unsafe or could be improved upon.
We find a lot of electrical not done properly. It's important to have consistent electricity for our daily use, but also from a safety perspective, if not done properly it is going to cause damage to the home and could be very unsafe.
Water can cause the most damage and something that can’t often be seen from the outside a lot of the time. This is the number one thing that's found most often in all home inspections and can save you a bucket-load of cash down the road.
There you have it, the top 5 most common issues found during a home inspection, for full details on the Home Inspectors Association of BC Scope of Inspection, I’ve included a link below
bc-association-of-home-inspectors