As you may know, I've been doing home inspections in Windsor and Essex County for over 25 years. I'd have to say that 9 times out of 10, the homebuyer asks me "Would you buy this house?" or sometimes they phrase it as "Would you let your daughter buy this house?" If I got a dollar for every time I got asked those questions, I'd have over $10,000 because I've performed that many home inspections in Windsor!

As a professional home inspector, I state the facts. When I discover an 'issue' during the home inspection, each home buyer processes the information differently. By the way, I put a quote around the word issue because what is an issue for one home buyer is not remotely an issue for another. What may be a stumbling block for one client is perceived as a cool weekend project for another. I always tell my clients that there is no pass or fail to a home inspection. There are just the facts. 

Stating the facts allows the home buyer to put everything into perspective according to their skills, wants, needs, likes, dislikes, budget etc. It educates the client on what is likely going to be their biggest investment.

I've seen clients buy a home that I would never have bought and on the other hand, I've seen clients walk away from a home that I would have definitely bought.  I guess my daughter could say the same thing. So, I never give a yes or no answer to the most-asked question that a Home Inspector gets. As a professional Home Inspector, I would be doing my client a disservice if I did because unless the home buyer is a repeat customer, I meet my client for the first time at the job site. I have no idea what their skills, budget, likes, lifestyle, dislikes, needs, wants etc are.

In my 25 year career of inspecting homes in Windsor and Essex County, I have never had a client call me and say that they should have bought a house that they walked away from, or that they wished they had never bought the house that I inspected.  Why, because I state the facts and the home buyer makes a decision that is right for THEM. 

This blog is going to be ongoing. You might want to check here often to see some of the interesting findings that I come across.

​Just the other day, while doing a home inspection in Kingsville, I found a live bat in the attic of a high-end home. Our client was so thankful that our home inspectors go into attics or the little critter may not have been discovered until our client moved in and he heard rustling in the attic in the middle of the night....not to mention the damage that this little guy caused with his nesting and fesces.  

​During a recent home inspection in Windsor, the home inspector came across this little gem-of-a-repair.  I wonder how often the homeowner of this house goes into his crawl space to empty the bucket! I guess someone thought that you repair a plumbing leak by placing a bucket there to catch the water lol.

Our client had a hard time convincing his real estate agent that he wanted a full home inspection. The agent told the home buyer that there was no time for a 3 hour inspection! We informed our client that we would not perform a quick verbal inspection as they are not insured and are in contravention of home inspection associations' Standards of Practice. Therefore he insisted on having a full home inspection and so his agent finally agreed lol.  Anyway, our client loved the newer huge back porch but was surprised to find out that it was likely not installed by a reputable contractor. Some of the deficiencies noted by our home inspector included inadequate joist supports, improper installation of posts, handrail too low & missing spindles and improper supports. We always tell our clients that no house is perfect. This client was very thankfull for insisting on a full and thorough home inspection!

Recently I performed a home inspection in Tecumseh on a newer home. I am often asked if it is necessary to get a house inspection when purchasing a newer home. Here is an example of why a home inspection is suggested no matter the age of the home. 
What you see here is a breach in the exhaust vent to a rented gas hot water tank. The homeowner was unaware of this situation and was very thankful that it was identified by our home inspector.

So you've decided it's time to buy a home. In this crazy real estate market, it can certainly be a challenge with vendors stating that they will only look at offers on a particular date or even realtors stating that if your offer includes a home inspection, you are certain to not get the home.
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​We've been hearing these horror stories for about two years now. It is unfortunate that the home buyer is placed in this predicament and that the government doesn't step in and insist that all homes for sale have a home inspection just like our cars MUST have safety checks.

Anyway, many home buyers are now getting the home inspection done first and then they can put in an offer based on all the facts instead of succumbing to these pressures and emotions. A professional home inspector is not interested in selling homes but the best home inspector is interested in objectively using his home inspector training and construction experience to remove the emotions and state the facts.
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​This article will help you choose a professional, qualified and the best home inspector. Here are 10 questions to take into account when choosing the perfect home inspector for you:

1. Is the home inspector a member (in good standing) with a professional home inspection association?  There are several home inspection associations out there now. The oldest and only government-recognized association in Ontario is the Ontario Association of Home Inspectors or commonly referred to as OAHI. Their highest designation is Registered Home Inspector or RHI. To achieve this designation, the home inspector must pass courses (not online), complete 200 fee-paid home inspections, pass peer reviews & home inspection report verifications, obtain yearly educational credits and carry Errors & Omissions insurance. The Canadian Association of Property & Home Inspectors (CAHPI) along with the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) have very similar requirements. A decade or so ago, we were also briefly members of another home inspection organization but upon finding out that their requirement to become a certified home inspector was to only pass on-line courses, we quickly withdrew our membership so that we would not to be affiliated with an organization that has no accountability with ensuring that the certified home inspector performing the home inspection is actually the person who 'passed' their easy online test.
2. Does the home inspector have practical training as well as classroom training? This to me, is a no-brainer.  In addition to classroom theory, a certain level of hands-on construction experience would give the best home inspector a more well-rounded approach to assisting the home buyer in making their biggest investment.
3. Is the home inspector full-time or part-time? Once again a no-brainer. When choosing any professional, I'd go with someone who does it full-time rather than part-time, like a hobby.  Someone who works at something full-time takes it more seriously and their focus is not sidetracked. The part-time building inspector might not be around tomorrow.
4. Does the home inspector carry valid insurance?  General Liability insurance covers the home inspector if he damages something while performing the home inspection. Whereas Errors & Omissions insurance covers the house inspector if he made an error or omitted something that negatively affected his client. Insurance companies provide a certificate that the home inspector can produce as proof of insurance.
5. Does the home inspector go on the roof and in crawl spaces?  There are many home inspectors who will not go onto a roof but many issues can only be uncovered by a thorough inspection...not one using binoculars! Also, when it comes to crawl spaces, many home inspectors shy away due to claustrophobia and animals that might have set up camp in the crawl space. Our home inspectors have uncovered countless issues that could never have been discovered if we hadn't gone up on the roof, into the attic and into the crawl space.
6. Is the home inspector affiliated with a realty company?  You want to hire a great home inspector who works for you, who is objective and has YOUR best interest at the forefront. Unfortunately as outlined in a previous blog, there is one Windsor home inspector who is also a practicing realtor! I've even heard about one Windsor home inspector who told a realtor that mold isn't an issue, it's considered bad furniture placement. You see, if the vendor places furniture over the mold, no one will see it ;) Then there's the other Windsor home inspector who winks at the realtor when the home-buyer isn't looking, to indicate that he's smoothing things over so the deal won't go south.
7. Does the home inspector perform verbal inspections?  If this is case, the home inspector is not in good standing with his home inspection association as he is violating the Standards of Practice. Do you want to hire a home inspector who doesn't adhere to his association's standards? What else might this house inspector compromise on???
8. Is there a home inspection warranty?  A warranty helps the home buyer have extra peace of mind.
9. What type of equipment does the home inspector use?  This is sometimes why some home inspectors don't go up onto roofs or into crawl spaces and attics.  The home inspector must invest in proper equipment in order to be the best home inspector that he can be. A screwdriver and flashlight are just not enough. Some required equipment includes thermal infrared imaging camera, digital camera, moisture detector, level, natural gas detector, ladder to reach high enough to get onto a roof etc.  The flashlight and screwdriver do come in handy too.
10. What type of report will you get?  A verbal inspection is in contravention to each home inspection associations' Standards of Practice.  The written home inspection report should not only include pictures but illustrations are a great asset too. The report should be specific to the house inspected because the client does not need extra information on systems and components that are irrelevant to his potential new home.

​There you have it....10 questions to ask each home inspector you call so that you can increase your chance of choosing the best home inspector in Windsor and Essex County.