Purchasing a home is one of the most important financial investments you will make. Ensure you are choosing a wise investment. After all, you don't want to blindly invest in something that may prove to be a risky investment.
You don't have to be a trained, certified inspector to spot some of the obvious problems with a house. You just need to use your common sense and use the tips below to help you decide what house "looks" like a good investment.
Once you narrow your search down, then you should hire a trained, certified Home Inspector. I highly recommend you hire a Professional Home Inspector before you purchase a home.
Roof
Are there any shingles/tiles missing? Holes in the roof? Is the gutter secured and sloping toward the down spout without any dips or curves? Can you see flashing around the chimney and any valleys where 2 roofs connect to each other? Any sags in the ridge, wavy roof surface, rotted soffit or fascia boards?
Ask how old the roofing material is and keep in mind there are many different roofing materials available from low quality to high quality and each material will react differently in our Okanagan climate. Some manufacturers may state their product will last 25 years, but this is under ideal conditions (read their fine print).
The life of the material will likely range anywhere between 15-20 yrs. Of course there are many variables that will cause the roof to deteriorate faster or last longer depending on climate and whether or not it was installed to manufacture guidelines.
The Exterior Walls
Look at the walls to make sure they are straight and not bowed out or wavy. Check siding for cracks, leaks, signs of insects destroying exterior finish. Check for rot especially along the bottom of the walls where the sheathing is exposed. Check to make sure the bottoms of the walls are at least 6 inches from the ground, whether they are brick, siding, stucco, and plywood. If these items touch ground, there could be moisture, mould and rot problems along with insect problems.
Foundation
Check the foundation walls from what you can view and make sure there are no major cracks. Almost every foundation in the Okanagan is going to have some minor settlement cracks due to the type of soil and weather here but take note of the size, shape and direction of the cracks and discuss it with your Home Inspector.
Also look for patch work that may indicate a problem with the foundation. Home Inspections consist of visual inspections so if the selling client has covered the foundation wall with a coating or covering material, make sure you ask the client if there were problems with the foundation at any time and get their responses in writing because verbal explanations will not help you if you need to take legal action against the seller later down the road so to speak.
Check to make sure the walls are straight. Stand at one end and look all the way to the other end. Is it straight? I hope so! Of course your home Inspector will have levels and other tools to determine if the walls are straight.
Here are some of the questions I can think of that would benefit you by asking and getting the answers in writing:
- When was the roof covering replaced?
- Was any sheathing replaced during that time?
- Was the furnace/water heater regularly cleaned and inspected and do they have a log of the dates and times? Ask to see it!! (It may be difficult to give you a copy if the report is stuck to the side of the furnace so just make sure it exists and check for consistent cleaning and servicing.) Don't be afraid to call the furnace company to verify the services performed.
- Is there insulation in the walls and ceiling? If so, what type of insulation? Is there any insulation or items in the home that may contain asbestos that you are aware of? Vermiculite Insulation is installed in some older homes and a small percentage of this insulation may contain traces of asbestos. Click here to read more about this.
- Will they show you copies of electric and heating bills for the year? (Not just the summer) - Have any of the windows or doors been replaced recently?
- Are there any new developments in the area that they are aware of that will impact the use and enjoyment of the property? (Check with the City or local Municipality as well to be sure.)
- Have there been any fires in the home that they are aware of?
- Have any walls been knocked out or any major work done to the structure of the house? If so, did they have a permit and were the renovations approved by an Engineering firm or Architect?
- If there is a wood stove, has it been cleaned every year and was it installed by a WETT certified installer?
- Is the stove a certified stove and is it an EPA stove?
- Has the basement ever leaked? Is there a sump pump and if so, does it work?
- Has the Electrical been upgraded and is there any aluminum wiring or knob and tube wiring installed?
- Has the plumbing been upgraded? Are the water supply pipes plastic or copper? Is the waste pipe plastic? Check to see if there are any Cast Iron waste pipes and check for leakage and condition of pipes. A lot of insurance companies prefer the black plastic pipes over cast iron.
There are so many things to consider when buying a home but I hope this page gives you a little help in making the best choice and when you are ready to make that offer make sure you have a condition that states the sale is subject to a full home inspection, then contact a certified home inspector to go through the house and give you a full report to ensure you are buying what you think you are buying.
Links & Resources
