If you are buying a home anywhere in British Columbia, chances are the current home owners will have prepared a certified home inspection report.
These types of home inspection reports are know as pre sale inspection reports.
Not that this should stop you getting the home inspected by a licensed home inspector in British Colombia before you buy. Home inspection reports produced for the purpose of inspecting a home before you buy are known as pre purchase inspection reports.
Not everyone realises that only two provinces in Canada require home inspectors to have an official license.
As hard as it may be to believe, British Colombia and Alberta are the only two provinces that require home inspectors to have mandatory training, testing and licensing -- and it isn't easy to get the license either.
You need substantial professional experience in fields that can be applied to home and building inspection.
A 'soft' inspection report is a home inspection report that was created to meet the legal requirements of a home inspection report in British Colombia -- in other words, the home inspector did what he was required to, but little more.
Soft inspection reports can be very misleading because they could:
BUYER BEWARE:
Detecting a soft home inspection report:
1. Beware of home inspection reports arranged by real estate agents.
This doesn't mean all real estate agents are snakes. It also doesn't mean that all real estate agent's recommendation of home inspectors aren't attempts to deceive you, but you need to take care -- seriously, buyer beware.
2. Report balancing techniques.
This is a common way to soften a home inspection report. The home inspector has added positive things about the home to impress a buyer. Some inspectors will even add one positive feature for each fault they find in the home -- seriously, buyer beware.
3. Minimising defects.
Minimising defects is a technique known well in the industry to soften home inspection reports. When a material defect is found in the home, the report will infer that the material was used at a time when regulations against it did not exist.
4. Reducing estimates of repair cost.
The condition of a home is nothing if you don't know what the cost of repair will be. Unscrupulous home inspectors will reduce estimation costs for necessary repairs. Again, and seriously, buyer beware.
If you just want to ask our chief inspector, Lloyde Kenzle, a question on anything to do with home maintenance, repairs and home inspections, he is more than happy to oblige.
Ask any question you want. C4U Inspections information service is free of charge and at no obligation -- in other words, you don't have to be asking about something that is directly related to us giving you a service.
Want to know how much a service will cost?
While it is difficult to set a fixed price for home inspections and home maintenance programs, Lloyd is very good at providing a reliable quote online -- if you can provide the information required. The more information you provide helps Lloyd with an instant and accurate quote C4U Inspections will stand by.
Generally speaking, C4U Inspections has a set minimum fee for each type of certified inspection -- with additional conditions, such as the size of the building, the age of your home, and the amount of built-in appliances, for example.
Want to know how much home repairs will cost and how much you should be paying?
Lloyd has years of experience. If you are wondering how much repairs should cost, he's a great resource and a great way to know if you've be quoted a reasonable fee. As a licensed home inspector in BC, Lloyd must adhere to a strict code of conduct. All and any advice provided is only speculative and for information purposes only.*
If you have images, photos and other bulky documents, please upload them to Google Documents or DropBox and share the link in the details box below. No question is too small or silly to ask. Lloyd spends a couple of hours at his desk each afternoon after managing the days projects and will reply to you as soon as possible.
Need more information and have questions? Contact C4U Inspections today
*Lloyd doesn't break the rules for anyone and as a leading chief home inspector in BC, that means he follows industry requirements, government regulations and licensing codes of conduct to the letter.
Unbiased, ethical and professional home inspection and building consulation services.
Serving the Okanagan Since 2005
