What Is Home Inspection – Detailed Guide On Home Inspection

What is a Home Inspection?

A home inspection refers to the visual examination of the physical home and its component parts and its composite rooms and sub-areas, including; structures from roof to the floor to basement and foundation.

A home inspection is conducted by a licensed home inspector to evaluate and determine the current condition and inhabitable areas of the home, condominium, loft, or another liveable home. As a result of a home inspection, a report is generated, based on the in-depth and professional observations and scrutiny by the home inspector.

Home inspectors are responsible for describing the composite components, parts, and systems in a home and notating which items or systems are in need of repair or replacement, to meet and be in compliance with standard housing protocols. To be noted, a home inspection is completely different from municipal inspection and property valuation process.

When is a home inspection required?

The home inspection is not a one-off process. Instead, a Home Inspection is completed each time a property undergoes changes in ownership. A home inspection may also be done at various times, based on tenancy scenarios. At the onset of a new tenant moving into a room or basement apartment, or upon a new tenant renting an entire house, a home inspection will likely be initiated. Also, upon a tenant leaving or moving out of a house, an additional home inspection may occur.

In order for a homeowner to be able to legally rent out a basement apartment or secondary suite, both the municipality where the house is situated and the insurance company that insures the house may require the property owner to hire a home inspector to complete a home inspection.

Due to periodic policy and regulation changes, home inspections may be required at regular intervals of homeownership. Also, when making an offer to buy a home, some buyers may create a condition of the offer to purchase is conditional on a home inspection with passing or excellent results. As a result of a home inspection with less than satisfactory results a seller may be required to fix, repair or upgrade part of a house, condo or other livable housing property before a seller will continue in the process to purchase a property.

Why Get Your Home Inspected?

Firstly, a home inspection helps buyers, sellers, and tenants to identify potential structural and mechanical defects in a home; be it a house, condominium, or another liveable residence. A completely inspected and verified house that has met all the requirements of a home inspection is always a point of attraction for tenants and buyers alike; especially in a country like Canada, which is in the midst of a housing crisis. Houses in major cities like Toronto are generally out of financial reach for many purchasers, with starting prices of $1 million dollars. Major Canadian cities offer great opportunities for raising families to raise children, with great opportunities for education and employment. Also, a thorough home inspection helps to determine the real value of a house; especially to determine required repairs.

What does the home inspection cover?

A home inspection focuses on both exterior and interior aspects of the house. The major exterior and interior elements include:

• Exterior
• Interior
• Foundation
• Plumbing and Waste Management
• Exterior Walls
• Electrical System and Fire Safety
• Porches, Decks, and Patios
• Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
• Grading and Garage
• Ceilings and Floors
• Waste Management System
• Basement and Crawl Spaces
• Wall Coverings
• Doors, Windows, Exit, and Entrances
• Garden Area
• Essential Appliances

Who Performs A Home Inspection?

One should only hire a professional Home Inspector to inspect one’s house. “The Home Inspector must be a Certified License holder, having credentials of the region, state, or province. On the other hand, if the person is not a certified inspector ensure that he is a member of the national or local home inspector’s trade association.”