Home Inspections 101

A Toronto home inspection is the objective evaluation of a house. At the end of the evaluation a detailed document is provided outlining the condition of the Toronto house.

The report will outline not just the major problems with the Toronto property but also the minor problems. The report will also outline the estimated age of the operating systems in the Toronto house, the life expectancy and an approximate cost to replace.

Everything from top to bottom gets inspected. In particular the report will focus on: plumbing, doors, floors, electrical, roof, foundation, steps, porches, windows, walls, heating and insulation.

You need to be careful in who you hire as a Toronto home inspector as they are not currently legislated. To ensure you have a quality Toronto home inspector be sure that they are a Registered Home Inspector. The Ontario Association of Home Inspectors (OAHI) is a self regulating professional body that has strict requirements for registration.

When hiring an inspector I recommend you ensure they are registered with the OAHI. To find a registered inspector go to www.oahi.com or call 416 256-0960.

Even if you know a thing or two about home construction, donýt risk doing the inspection yourself. Toronto home inspectors have very broad expertise and will ultimately give you peace of mind. A typical Toronto home inspection cost will vary greatly based on the size of the home, the attention to detail and quality of report, budget for $300-$500.

A Toronto home inspection is typically performed as a condition of the purchase. So it happens after the offer and before the deal finalizes. Some buyers may have the inspection prior to the offer. This can strengthen your negotiation position as you will know of any major deficiencies that should affect the purchase price.

During the inspection the Toronto real estate agents are not usually present. Usually it is only the purchaser and the inspector, which is my preferred situation. It is better to try and arrange it when the vendor cannot be there as they may try and negatively impact the inspection. I do recommend to my clients that they be there during the inspection. That way they can ask questions of the inspector as issues arise.

Prepare yourself for problems. The chances are great that there will be something wrong with the Toronto home. If there are major problems with the Toronto house it is worth trying to get the vendor to cover some of the repair costs. Keep in mind that some of the problems could be remedied during any planned renovations. You always have the option of killing the deal should the deficiencies be too great.

Remember that you made your initial offer in good faith, so after the home inspection donýt try and nickel and dime the vendor over minor repairs. Renegotiate the offer if there are major items that will cost a lot to repair.

Home inspections will also allow you to schedule and budget for repairs accordingly. You can also look to your inspector to recommend what you can do to avoid future problems. All in all a home inspection is a great investment.

Evan Sage is one of only a handful of award winning Toronto real estate agents. Evan instills in his clients the confidence to make the right purchase or sale decision. He achieves this by demonstrating a superior knowledge of Toronto real estate and by providing a wealth of free resources on his website evansage.com to educate buyers and sellers in Toronto.