How Important is a Home Inspection?

For most Mississauga home buyers, buying a home is the most expensive purchase you can make. Unlike other purchases, there is no return policy or money back guarantee with real estate, so it is important to ensure you take the proper steps to protect yourself and your investment by having a home inspection by a qualified home inspector.

When you or your realtor prepares an offer to purchase a house or condominium, you should ensure that there is a clause making the purchase conditional on a home inspection satisfactory to the buyer (you). By adding a clause such as this, the home buyer is protected even after the offer is accepted, as the buyer has a chance to inspect the property to ensure that there are no hidden defects.

While you can do it your self, it is highly recommended that you hire a professional home inspector to do the job. What a home inspector will do is go through the home and perform a detailed visual inspection to assess the condition of the home and its operating systems. They will report on items not working well or items that are still working but have gone past their normal life expectancy. They will also point out areas that will need to be fixed in the future, or areas that have had problems in the past. Finally they should provide a detailed written report that you can use as a reference for future repairs and maintenance on your home.

It is important to note than home inspectors can only report on what they see, for example they can not punch holes in walls or take any other drastic steps. However a home inspection is a very good indication of the condition of the property. It's also worth noting that there are issues with every home, and that it is not the purpose of a home inspection to identify minor issues.

On a final note, home buyers are encouraged to attend the home inspection and follow the inspector around. It is a valuable learning experience as a good home inspector will also give tips on maintenance and cost saving ideas.