After months of house hunting, you've found the perfect home for you and your family. Depending on the age, condition, and location of the property your next step may well involve a home inspection. If you and your REALTOR feel your potential new home may contain a few unseen problems, it's best to be safe and invest in a home inspection.

The majority of homes listed for sale within the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board's trading area come with a vendor-completed Property Condition Disclosure Statement. This document provides a record of the home's condition according to the knowledge of its resident, the seller. Still, this statement is a start. If the homeowners indicate they do not know of the condition of a certain item, this should alert the prudent buyer to investigate further.

The Property Condition Disclosure Statement allows sellers to disclose KNOWN defects.

If a seller decides not to complete the form and does not disclose known defects, he or she is still held liable.

As you can see, use of the Property Condition Disclosure Statement does not relieve parties from their individual responsibilities under the law. Therefore, the Property Condition Disclosure Statement should be incorporated and form part of the Contract of Purchase and Sale. However, buyers are cautioned that even with a disclosure statement, this does not relieve the buyer of the onus of reasonable care.

In fact, at the bottom of the Property Condition Disclosure Statement, which is signed by the seller(s) and the buyer(s), you'll find the following notation: "The prudent buyers will use this disclosure statement as the starting point of their own inquiries. The buyers are urged to carefully inspect the property and, if desired, to have the property inspected by an inspection service of their choice."

To be on the safe side, buyers may wish to hire the services of an independent home inspector to ensure the home they wish to buy is everything they expect.

A home inspection can also help prepare you for future home maintenance costs.

An inspection consists of a thorough examination and evaluation of the major systems of your home, such as heating, air conditioning, interior plumbing, and electrical systems. Structures such as the roof, walls, ceilings, floors, windows, doors, and foundation will also be examined.

Inspections last approximately three hours. Most inspectors invite their clients to join them during the evaluation of the home. This is a great opportunity for you to see potential defects firsthand and to pick up valuable maintenance tips which will help you keep your future property in good condition.

Keep in mind that an inspector will not tell you the condition of every single component of your home. The inspection is specifically for determining large expenses and/or safety-related concerns.

Following the examination, the inspector should prepare a written report which covers possible defects and areas of concern. It should also include estimated costs of repairs.

The report should also point out the positive features of the home and recommend the type of maintenance that will help keep it in good shape.

Don't confuse this report with a lifetime guarantee on components of your home. After all, by maintaining and repairing these components, you can only help slow down their inevitable wear and tear.

A home inspection is usually conducted after the seller accepts your offer to purchase. Make sure your offer includes a conditional clause which specifies that the purchase is subject to a satisfactory report pending the completion of a building inspection.

Once your offer is accepted, it is your responsibility to schedule the inspection within the time limit agreed upon by you and the seller.

When choosing a qualified inspector, try to select someone who is in a building-rated field, such as a certified contractor or a structural engineer. There are several firms on Vancouver Island which specialize in home inspections.

Ask your REALTOR, friends, and family if they can recommend a number of home inspectors. When you contact potential inspection firms, find out how long they've been in business and ask for references from previous customers. Make sure they guarantee their inspections and find out what type of insurance they carry.

The cost of a home inspection for a single-family house usually varies, based on factors such as size, age, location, and geographic area.

Considering that your home will probably be the most important investment of your lifetime, a home inspection is a relatively inexpensive way to find out if your dream home can live up to your expectations.

April, 1993
rev Jan/98