Search results matching tags 'purchasing' and 'property'

How can a seller prepare for a home inspection

180308 — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:57:00 GMT

If you have your house on the market and you receive an offer you choose to accept - this is always good news and can be an exciting time! You can now move forward with your plans to purchase another home, build a brand new one or move to an apartment. Before you pop open the champagne, you should first wait until all the conditions are removed from your contract such as financing and home inspection clauses. A home inspection can sometimes scare sellers but it's your real estate agents job to ease those worries and educate you on what a home inspection actually is as well as what you can do to make the inspection go smoothly.

Here are some basic pointers to get you started:

* Make sure all utilities are operating. If the house (more often cottage) is vacant, make sure the power and water are turned on. An inspector isn't able to complete his inspection without these two main utilities operating. If they are not turned on and he has to come back, there may be a fee involved that the buyers will ask you to pay if it's not taken care of the first time. Also, make sure there is oil in the tank so the inspector is able to check the operation of the furnace. Pilot lights should also be lit on propane appliances to ensure they are in working order.

* Make sure attic and crawl space access is unobstructed. This may seem like common sense, but often sellers don't think of it and will park their cars under the hatch in the garage. If the seller is not home, the inspector is not able to inspect the attic as he is not going to crawl on your vehicle! If the hatch to the attic is in a closet, make sure you clean it out allowing easy access. The same goes for basement hatches. Inspectors are not inclined to moving large furniture or piles of boxes in order to gain access to these places. (** As a side note, it doesn't hurt to do the same for showings as many people do like to look at these areas when looking at a home)

* Have the house accessible in the winter. Again, this seems like common sense but some people forget to shovel out the front door if they are used to always using the back door. The home inspector wouldn't be able to test this door to see if it opens and closes properly if there is a foot of snow in front of it! The same goes for any debris you may have stored on a back porch in front of a door you never use. Keep these things in mind and make sure all doors can be accessed.

* Make sure all areas are accessible. Remove any items you may have stored around areas such as: Electrical Panel, Water Shut Off, Boiler or Furnace or Oil Tank. These are always included in a home inspection and will need to be easy to reach.

* Catch up on normal maintenance. There are many simple things you can do to avoid any questionable remarks made by home inspectors.

* Replace all light bulbs that are not working. An inspector won't know the bulb is blown so that means there will be a question on whether or not the light in that room actually works.

* Clean debris from gutters and roof. Make sure gutters extend at least 6' to 8' from the building.

* Replace rotting wood and paint/caulk windows as necessary.

* Test and replace batteries in smoke detectors.

* Maintain furnace and boiler (have them cleaned on a regular basis by a professional). Replace furnace or HPV filters.

* Check the grading around your lot to make sure ground is sloped down and away from the house, leaving at least 6" of exposed foundation below the siding.

* Make sure sump pump is functioning properly.

* Check to make sure doors and windows are operational.

* Make sure your window wells are clean, well drained and properly attached to the foundation.

* Check plumbing fixtures for leaks and proper operation

* Ensure bathroom fans are working and are vented to the outdoors - NOT the attic!

* Provide receipts for recent work done to your home. You can also let the purchaser know about any transferable warranties that may exist.

The above information is based on a presentation we were given by a group of home inspectors. Many of the things they suggest should be a part of your overall maintenance to your home and things you may be doing on an ongoing basis. If not, you should consider sitting down with this list and doing as many of the items as you can. Doing these things won't guarantee a perfect home inspection, but it may avoid some small headaches and give you a more favorable report than if you chose to do nothing.

If you have any further questions about home inspections or about selling your home, you can contact us through our website at

http://www.peihouses.com

Carol and Steve

Home Inspections

180308 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:15:00 GMT

When you buy a home, you don't receive a money back guarantee as you do with other purchases. There is no return policy if you find yourself disappointed in your purchase after the fact. Once you are the owner of this home, you are then responsible for all the maintenance and repair costs as well as any bills that go along with it.

Before you purchase a home and when you write up a contract to purchase, you do have a clause that allows you to have a home inspection on your home before you decide that you want to go ahead and finalize the deal.

Since most people only use a home inspector once or twice in a lifetime, it's sometimes difficult to know how to choose a good one. Your real estate agent can steer you in the right direction with this decision and give you a list of names of home inspectors who are qualified. They may also give you the website of The Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors. The inspectors you find on this website are all qualified home inspectors. You should call each inspector and ask questions on price, availability, how their reports are presented, etc. This may also give you an idea of their personality and professionalism. Some people choose their home inspector in a similar fashion to other service professionals and use recommendations of other purchasers who have used the inspector and were pleased with their service.

When choosing a home inspector, keep in mind they usually only have time to perform one or two inspections per day, so they may need several days notice in order to accommodate your request.

A home inspector will review the property and record and assess it's condition as well as the condition of the systems within the home. They will note the components that are not working properly or those that have gone past their useful life or are unsafe. They are able to identify areas that may need repairs or areas that may have had problems in the past. Inspections are used to educate people on the property they plan to buy and give them valuable information on how to better maintain or improve the quality of this property.

Home inspections are opinion based which means several inspectors could have totally different reports after viewing a home. Just as several real estate agents could have differing opinions on the price of a home, home inspectors may have different opinions on certain aspects of a home inspection.

You can expect a home inspection to include the following:

Roofing and roofing components
Exterior components
Attic
Structure
Interior
Electrical
Plumbing
Heating
Water penetration

** Note: If the inspection takes place in winter months, the roof and foundation may not be fully visible for inspection if they are covered in snow and ice. Due to safety, home inspectors don't typically climb up on snow or ice covered roofs. They will inspect the roof from the ground.

Some things home inspections are not:

A home energy audit (Home inspectors are not able to tell you how energy efficient the home you are buying will be.)
Not a building code review
Not a renovation cost estimator (Home inspectors are not qualified to give you an estimate on work you may need to do to your home. You should have a contractor come into the home to give you this information.)
Not an appraisal (Home inspectors are not able to tell you how much the house is worth that they are inspecting. There are qualified people who can do this for you. Your bank may request an appraisal on the home for your mortgage.)
Not a well or septic system inspection. (Home inspectors are not able to check your well or septic system. You would need a professional to do this for you.)

A home inspection can cost a purchaser anywhere from a little under $400 up to $450. It typically takes about three hours for a home inspection. Following the inspection,the purchaser is presented with a written report with the details of the inspection. The home inspector can answer any questions you may have about the report at the time of this presentation. Many purchasers are present for the last part of the inspection which allows the home inspector to take them around the property and physically show them problem areas or educate them on how to use certain components of the home.

As real estate agents, we like to accompany our clients to their home inspections. This gives us the opportunity to hear what the home inspector says about the report so we can better understand any problems that may arise. This also eliminates any misunderstandings our clients may have about the home inspection and ensures everyone is on the same page when we sit down to discuss any issues arising from the inspection.

If you have any questions on home inspections or on purchasing a home, please feel free to contact us and we will help you in any way we can.

Carol and Steve

http://www.peihouses.com