Most Common Mistakes People Make When Employing A Home Inspector
When a house is up for sale, it’s essential that all the i’s are dotted, and t’s are crossed before it is marketable. This starts in fact from the time the house is built, when the mandatory warranties, from both the builder and Tarion, - the leaders in home warranty protection - need to be obtained. A home inspector will scrutinize every detail to make sure the house is ready for sale. He is the person you can trust when deciding to finally buy your dream home.
At OM Inspections, we assist in all three aspects involved in a home sale – pre-selling inspection for the home seller, pre-buying inspection for the home buyer and the mediation for the new home warranty. Through our experience over the years, we’ve noticed a few errors that occur, and the following examples highlight three of the most common mistakes people make when they hire a home inspector.
1. The home seller must call the home inspector to assess the home’s condition before it is ready to be sold. Not only that, but he must present the inspection report in the offer. A seller might not present the report, if the inspection is not 100% perfect, and will hope the inspection condition will be waived off of the offer. At OM inspections, we always recommend presenting the bad report given by the inspector, and mark the tasks as completed besides the deficiencies that were fixed and attach quotations for the incomplete items. This eliminates the debate of how much a deficiency is worth. It also presents the seller as a thorough and proud homeowner who takes care of their home.
2. When it comes to the home buyer, the buyer usually calls the home inspector after their financial conditions are met. That means the inspection must be completed, the information must be transferred, and the client must make a decision within typically twenty-four to thirty-six hours. All that assuming the requested home inspector is available on such short notice. What is the worst that could happen if that frantic phone call is done upon offer acceptance but the deal falls through? The client will lose the inspection fee, which is about 0.05% of the listing price and about 1.25% of the realtors’ fee. It is essential it is to have the appropriate time to analyze the information the home inspector provided and to actually read the report (not just the summary page). Even if you, as a buyer, lose this deal, you have still gained vital knowledge for the next prospect, and if you go with us at OM Inspections, we will give you a 10% discount.
3. It’s a new house, what can be wrong? The sad but true answer is, a lot! It must be said though, that the vast majority of the new construction is done correctly and builders do care about their product and purchasers. However, construction is a unique industry where all the work is still manmade and relies on multiple trades. The key is to remember that the builder also has rights, the same as the homeowner. The builder can stick to warranty report periods the same way Tarion will. Therefore, it is crucial to submit the warranty forms, on time, to both the builder and Tarion. It is wrong to expect the homeowner to know Tarion’s warranty guideline, and to expect the builder to address all complaints at all times. This is where the home inspector has to be a great mediator for the homeowner. To follow the timeline given by Tarion, sign up with My Home, Tarion’s new homeowner’s portal at https://myhome.tarion.com/hop.
To avoid these and other mistakes, reach out to the experts at OM Inspections. Being in business since 2004, we have certified home inspectors who provide professional, unbiased home inspections in North York, Richmond Hill, Aurora, Newmarket, Toronto, Mississauga, Ajax and the Greater Toronto Area. We specialize in pre-buying inspection, pre-selling inspection, and new home warranty inspection. For a complete list of services, please click here. If you have any questions about home inspection services, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us here.