With the new 2/5/10 Home Warranty in BC, people will tell you that you do not need to get a home inspection! Why would you get a home inspection when the warranty is there to protect you and will fix everything that turns up wrong. Read More…
Unfortunately most home buyers have no yardstick to measure their inspectors competence. I often see feeble client testimonials on referral websites claiming the inspector was very knowledgeable, fast, helpful, polite, and showed up on time. Read More…
I look for any and everything. I do not carry a checklist. I scrutinize every nook and cranny and am always open to discovering new deficiencies. I am not preoccupied with writing a report and processing photos as I go. Read More…
Your choice of an inspector is your private business, agents shouldn’t be asking and they sure as heck can’t demand to know. It’s probably not in your best interest for either agent to contact your inspector with a little pregame pep talk. Read More…
Mold Detection & Air Quality Testing are very specialized services that should be conducted by an IAQ (Indoor Air Quality Investigator) who is a trained professional. Many Home Inspectors are trying to be a one-stop shop. Most inspectors do take some training in specialized fields such as IAQ, they are generally not professionally qualified. Read More…
A threatening email recently landed on my desktop. It’s quite a story – and illustrates just how difficult it can be to trust the word certified. In the year 2000, the state of Pennsylvania enacted a home inspection law requiring home inspectors to be certified by a ‘recognized national organization’. Senate Bill 1032 did not specify any of the individual contenders by name. It described instead the criteria they would need to meet. Read More…
Do not enter into a contract that reads anything like: “at the buyer’s expense, obtaining and approving an inspection report against which any defects whose cumulative costs of repair exceeds $1000 (or any $ amount) and which reasonably may adversely affect the properties use or value.” Read More…
If a real estate agent tells you a particular inspector is not approved by the Real Estate Board of BC or is not CAHPI Certified it does not necessarily mean the inspector lacks certification. These type of statements are a red herring to sway your choice of inspector to a lesser threat to the sale. Read More…
You should know: your choice of an inspector is your private business, agents shouldn’t be asking and they sure as heck can’t demand to know. It’s probably not in your best interest for either agent to contact your inspector with a little pregame pep talk. Read More…
Ted Gilmour is a Vancouver home inspector and industry recognized professional with a commitment to best practice in client service and reporting excellence.