Home Inspections are conducted and reported by visibly identifying problems and are best performed during daytime. In order to provide the client with a proper assessment of the property without jeopardizing the safety of the inspector or other accompanying individuals the following points should be considered prior to the inspection:
Attending the Inspection
You (the client) or a designate should be present during the inspection. This will give the inspector a chance to point out any defects that you will later see in the report. It will also give you a chance to ask questions while the inspection is in progress.
Be considerate to tenants
If the home being inspected is occupied by a tenant, they should be informed ahead of time that an inspection will be taking place. They should be advised of the measures (this list) that they would take to ensure a successful inspection will take place. Depending on the type of inspection, size of property, and number of systems, an inspection will typically take between 2-4 hours.
Safety First
Personal safety is part of the Code of Conduct and Professionalism. The inspector makes every effort to ensure that no person or animal will be injured or damage caused as a result of the inspection. As the inspection will involve accessing electrical panels, heating systems, and other dangerous appliances, children and pets should be kept away or closely watched.
Minimize Obstacles
The electrical panels need to be easily accessible without any obstructions. The inspector needs to be able to remove the panel to visibly inspect the inside and turn off a breaker in case of an emergency. Also, any furniture, boxes, or other large obstacles should be placed in such a way to maximize the amount of wall, ceiling, and floor space accessible to the inspector.
Utilities
Home inspections include, amongst other things, a full overview of the electrical, plumbing, and heating and ventilation systems. These utilities must be turned on prior to the inspection for us to determine their state. The Standard of Practice in Ontario does not require home inspectors to operate electrical breakers, water mains, or gas shut-off valves.
Disabling Alarms
Some homes have integrated burglary and smoke alarm systems. Prior to the start of the inspection, the monitoring station should be informed to put the system on bypass in case it is triggered by mistake. Once the inspection is over, the alarm systems should be reactivated by the monitoring station.
Attics and Crawl Spaces
Access panels to roof attics and crawl spaces should be open. They often get sealed by owners to avoid any cold air from leaking in. As the home inspection is non-destructive in nature, inspectors are not permitted to use any tools to pry open these access panels as they may result in damage. Access to these spaces to is needed to inspect them.
Renovation and Service Records
When renovations are made to a structure, the buyer may ask for documents about the work that has been completed. Also, service records for water heaters, heating systems, and other appliances are used to identify what work has been done on the appliance and may help in indicating their condition. Those should be ready for the inspection.
Hot Water Tanks have a built-in thermostat which controls the temperature of the water. When the water temperature reaches the set point, the thermostat shuts off the heater. A malfunction of the thermostat or heater could cause the heater to continue to heat the water, increasing the water temperature and pressure inside the tank. A temperature & pressure valve (T&P valve) is a safety device built onto hot water tanks that are designed to automatically release excessive pressure from the tank caused by such a malfunction. In the event and the T&P valve fails to release the excess pressure, the tank would ultimately be unable to contain the pressure would explode.
If you’ve purchased a home in the past, your home inspector may have pointed out aluminum wiring as an area of potential concern in getting the home insured. Some insurance companies will not issue insurance for a home that has aluminum wiring while others charge premiums. So the question is “what’s wrong with aluminum wiring?”
In addition to inspecting homes in the Greater Toronto Area, I am actively involved in educating anyone involved in the real-estate transactions such as agents, mortgage brokers, banks, and the home buyers through this blog as well as seminars. I believe that the best way to gain peoples' confidence is by showing them a deep level of knowledge and understanding in the matter from which they stand to gain interesting and important knowledge.