Buying a new home can be one of the most rewarding moments of your life. Stepping into a newly purchased home inspires feelings of comfort, safety, and reliability, especially when you’ve hired a company to perform a complete home inspection. A home inspection offers incredible peace of mind, but not every homebuyer chooses to make the investment. Here are some pros and cons of that decision.

Home Inspections In Calgary

The Seller

Waiving a home inspection is mostly beneficial to the seller of the home. By waiving the home inspection, the seller is offered the luxury of selling to a buyer who is willing to take on a home exactly as it is. Meaning that the seller will have one less speed bump to worry about, negating the risk of inspectors uncovering unexpected problems that could cost the seller both time and money.

The Buyer

If a buyer decides to waive a home inspection in Calgary, they choose to expose themselves to a significant amount of risk. Calgary home inspectors are a crucial part of identifying both current and potential issues with a home. Houses can carry a considerable amount of hidden risk that anyone buying a home should be aware of.

Some of the items covered during an inspection are:

What (if any) structural work is necessary to ensure safety?
How long before the roof will need replacement?
How long before the furnace/air conditioner will need replacement?
Is the electrical panel properly wired? Any special safety concerns?
Are the insulation levels adequate?
Is the fireplace safe?
Basement leakage

Why Waive A Home Inspection?

There are really only two reasons why a buyer would waive the contingency for a home inspection in Calgary. These reasons are a) to speed up the buying process and close the deal as fast as possible or b) to increase the likelihood that the seller will accept their offer.

Since home inspections may reveal unexpected issues that could delay the purchase of a home, waiving the home inspection makes the process easier. Still, it can result in significant headaches down the road, both financially and emotionally. Sellers generally like to find a buyer as quickly as possible; this means they might be more willing to accept an offer from a buyer who is willing to waive the home inspection, especially in a competitive housing market.

Imagine you’ve found your dream home. Everything is perfect and exactly as you’ve always imagined. But because of competing offers, you’re forced to waive the home inspection to close the deal quickly. It might seem worth it at first, but six months down the road, you may rethink your decision when you have to replace the electrical or hire an exterminator.

Integra Inspections is a Home Inspection Company in Calgary that provides unbeatable service for home inspections. With over 15 years of experience and the latest technologies such as thermal imaging, you can count on Integra Home Inspections to get you the facts and have you ready for your next home!

Home inspections in Calgary are a great way for prospective buyers to gain confidence and comfort in a potential home. These inspections involve professionals checking various factors, determining their quality and preparing a comprehensive report of their findings. But, can a property really be bad enough to fail?

Not necessarily. Home inspection in Calgary is about providing an unbiased, objective look at a home. So, while a home might have multiple infractions, it is ultimately up to the prospective buyer to make their own decision whether or not to purchase. Most issues can be repaired or remediated, including the following major concerns.

Serious Concerns for Calgary Home inspections

Excess Moisture in the Basement/ Attic

Flooding is an example of excess moisture in the basement, but it is also on the extreme side of the spectrum. It is far more likely that a home inspector will find either sweating in the ceiling or improperly sealed areas in the basement. Additionally, they may find the presence of mould, which, depending on the type, can be a serious health concern.

Structural Concerns

Older homes will struggle with structural problems much more often than newer builds. Modern building standards have removed a lot of the risk and guesswork involved with building, but these problems can still crop up. Load-bearing beams, sinking or damaged foundations, and rotting wood are all examples of structural issues that may need to be addressed.

Radon

Radon is a deadly gas that seeps out of the Earth’s crust and can become trapped inside our homes. The only way to test for Radon is with specialized equipment, which is usually part of a home inspection in Calgary. Too high a concentration will require action to fix.

Outdated Wiring

Again, this problem is often specific to older homes, but outdated wiring may need to be corrected prior to a house sale. This is usually only when there is not enough power to safely operate modern appliances and technology.

Air Circulation Concerns

HVAC problems are a major concern for house inspection in Calgary. Stale air can cause many health-related problems, so it is important to ensure all equipment is functioning properly.

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The world of a Calgary home inspector involves many different decisions and actions. Whether or not to include a minor fault is a key consideration, but it is just the tip of the iceberg. Throughout the average workday, a home inspector will find themselves making judgement calls, tough choices and more.

Therefore, in establishing what Calgary home inspectors can do, it is equally important to determine what they cannot do. Below we look at some of the activities that home inspectors will not do and why.

Activities that Calgary Home Inspectors DON’T Do

Issue a Passing or Failing Mark

Perhaps the biggest misconception about home inspectors is that their job is to allow the sale or occupancy of a house. This is not the case. Instead, home inspectors are trained to identify potential problems in the construction of the house, record them and submit their findings for review.

Telling people that they should or shouldn’t buy a house is not part of a home inspector’s responsibility. This prevents potential conflicts of interest and protects home inspectors from opening themselves up to potential liability. Additionally, it prevents purchasers from making decisions based on incomplete information or opinions.

Perform Destructive Testing

During an inspection, there are several methods of determining the acceptability or rejectability of a particular area. Take corrosion, for example. A metallic support with visual rust typically indicates some amount of corrosion or degradation in the material. It does not determine the exact amount of corrosion, however. This would require physical inspection and testing.

Home inspectors do not participate in this level of destructive testing. They are there to perform visual assessments and referrals to specialized services when required. Performing destructive testing could lead to rework or repair that do not involve a home inspector’s services.

Determine a Home’s Value

Home inspectors in Calgary and other areas are not required to determine a home’s value. Nor should they, in many circumstances. The reason for not performing this activity is similar to the previous examples.

It is simply not the responsibility or duty of the home inspector to provide their opinion on this information. Realtors and real estate agents work in the housing industry to offer this information, along with municipal governments and other relevant professionals.

Are you buying a new home or planning to sell yours? Well, a home inspection in Calgary is a must. Having an expert take a look through all the parts of a home can guarantee if it’s’ worthwhile investment or if you have to make necessary repairs before selling.

But what do home inspectors check when working?

The answer is: a lot. So we’ve narrowed it down to a few key sections that they check while inspecting your home.

What do Calgary Home Inspectors Check?

A typical home inspector checklist consists of the following:

The Soil

Home inspectors always check your grounds and soils, which might seem like a strange choice. But it’s important to know if there are any current or future water issues such as faulty grading or downspouts, that can cause foundation problems later on.

The Foundation

Home inspections always consist of a foundation check of the home. They will look at current or potential issues that can arise from the foundation, such as if the homes are aligned and if the frames are holding firm.

The Roof

Roofs are pivotal for protecting the home while providing adequate cover when needed. As such, the Calgary home inspector will look at everything related to the roof, such as shingles, flashing, soffit and fascia, loose gutters; and defects in chimneys and skylights and so forth. They will also inspect the attic and see if there are any ventilation issues.

The Exterior of the Home

The likes of siding damages and cracks, windows and doors are always inspected from the outside in. This way, the home inspector can determine if there are any issues with ventilation, as well as ensure that the siding is not rotting or decaying quickly.

The Interior of the Home

When it comes to the inside of your home, Calgary home inspectors will be looking out for leaning walls, faulty framing, stained ceilings (which means a potential leak somewhere) and adequate insulation. All these factors are going to impact your everyday living and will cost you down the line if not repaired sooner or later.

Plumbing Systems

Inspectors will evaluate pipes, drains, water heaters, and water pressure and temperature throughout your home, particularly in wet areas (bathrooms, kitchens, laundry). They will look for water damage and to see how your system is holding up.

Electrical Systems

One wrong electrical connection can result in a fire, so it makes sense that the inspector will check your electricity. They will conduct tests and overlook outlets, visible wiring, electrical panels, light switches and the HVAC systems to ensure they work correctly.

This is a basic outline of what Calgary home inspectors will look when checking up on your property. Remember, that the checklist might be altered depending on the size, outlay and additional accessories that are part of your home.

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak and to help protect the health of everyone involved, including our inspectors, our clients, the homeowner and our real estate partners, here’s what we’re doing to help limit the spread of COVID-19.

We are asking you, our clients, to stay home if possible. This is different from our standard approach in which we encourage our clients to fully participate in the inspection.

After the inspection report is sent to you, we will do a full review of the report over the phone, and we are available for questions at any time, as always. If you insist on attending, if possible, we ask that you limit your attendance to just yourself. Please don’t bring the kids, parents, contractors, and others.

During the inspection, we will wash our hands frequently using our own hand soap and towel. We will also bring sanitizer wipes to disinfect items that we have touched during the inspection, such as faucets. If hand washing is not possible, we will also have hand sanitizer with us. We also have latex gloves and will use those if deemed necessary, but everything we’ve researched suggests that hand washing is the best course of action.

If requested by anyone present at the inspection, we will wear a face mask.

None of our inspectors will attend an inspection if they show signs of a fever or a cough or any other symptoms of illness.

By taking these steps, we want to make sure people can continue to receive the benefits of a home inspection while respecting the current reality of COVID-19.

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