Ok, let's face it, in today's housing market, home buyers are being advised to buy a home with no conditions. That's right, no financing or home inspection conditions...that means you are essentially buying a home for cash and buying it 'as is'.  Wow, buying a home is likely the biggest investment you'll make and now you're advised not to finance it or get it inspected.  I'm glad I bought my last house 20 years ago without these unfair pressures!

I can't speak on the financing aspect but I've got 25 years of experience in the home inspection industry so that's what I'll address.  Home Inspection Consutants Inc. is now doing more post-purchase property inspections than pre-purchase house inspections. This is quite a shift in the home inspection industry.  When we first started back in 1994, post-purchase building inspections didn't exist.

We get paid either way, before the purchase or after the purchase, so whichever you choose is up to you BUT it is clearly more beneficial to the home buyer to have a pre-purchase home inspection because then you can make an INFORMED decision on your biggest investment.

So, how can a post-purchase home inspection save you money or help you when you've already bought the house?

Even if you have moved into the home, it's not too late to call Home Inspection Consultants Inc. We Provide Peace of Mind.

​Housing Market Frenzy in Windsor & Essex County
How it affects the Home Buyer
 
Windsor, ON April 2, 2019:  The ‘hot’ housing market in Windsor & Essex County has negatively affected home buyers in many ways. The current trend to eliminate home inspections from offers-to-purchase puts home buyers in a precarious situation. Home buyers are being strongly advised to purchase a home with no conditions because a condition will jeopardize their offer even if their offer has a greater dollar value than the next.

The Ontario Government protects car buyers with the Used Vehicle Information Package and Safety Standards Certificate. Yet, the governing bodies are not protecting Ontario home buyers. Unlike vehicles, the Consumer Protection Act, 2002, does not apply to transactions that involve the purchase, sale or lease of real property.  When contacted, the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services stated “The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) is responsible for administering and enforcing the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act. RECO regulates the conduct of real estate agents and works to increase consumer protection in the real estate industry.” That’s like solely appointing the Ontario Motor Vehicles Industry Council (OMVIC) to regulate the purchase, sale or lease of vehicles!! The Ontario Government did not believe that was enough to protect consumers and therefore the Ontario Ministry of Government and Consumer Services stepped in.
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With the current Real Estate trend, whoever 'wins' or out-bids others with their offer-to-purchase does not truly know the condition of what they are buying! Ontario home buyers should have the RIGHT to take the time to have a FULL Home Inspection performed by an Ontario Government-Recognized Home Inspector so that they can make an informed decision on their largest investment. If each offer-to-purchase had this clause, every home buyer would be protected as they would all be on the same level playing field.
 
We are now performing post-purchase home inspections and more times than not, the new home buyers are surprised with our findings and are in deep regret because they feel that they have no recourse – they’ve already bought the house. They all wish that they would have gotten the home inspection performed prior to making the decision on their biggest investment.
 
Why does the Ministry of Government and Consumer Relations protect car buyers but not home buyers? The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) cannot possibly protect home buyers while its members are the ones receiving compensation for Ontario real estate transactions. Just like the car sales industry, a governing body which is not associated with or affected by the monetary transaction of a purchase/sale/lease must be involved in order to protect the consumer. When will the governing bodies protect Ontario home buyers? We are back to square one…Caveat Emptor (buyer beware).

Having a home inspection prior to buying a home is imperative but buying a home means more than just having a place to live. I guess you can think of it like your body....they say 'You are what you eat and do', so if you're eating junk food and you're a couch potato, well you won't be too fit.

Same goes for your home.  Many of our clients use our comprehensive home inspection reports to prioritize their repairs and maintenance schedules. You can neglect your home for only so long before minor issues become greater and more expensive problems. ​

Since spring is upon us, I'll start with what I do in the spring to ensure my house is in tip-top shape:

In the fall, my routine is as follows:

1. I'll make sure my furnace filter is replaced.
2. I'll take my infrared camera around the house to see if there are any air leaks that I should seal.
3. My dryer duct gets a cleaning around this time of year.
4. I've got a few outdoor taps that need to be shut off from the interior of the house so that pipes don't burst. This task was especially important this past year with the Polar Vortex that we experienced!
5. I'll take another peak at my roof in case there is any hail damage or issues.
6. I like to check the eaves troughs again to make sure they are clear of leaves and debris.
7. My wife can't make it through the winter without our wood-burning fireplace, so I make sure the chimney is cleaned and the firebricks are intact.

In the winter, I only have a few concerns:

1. Replacing the furnace filter
2. Replacing the batteries in our smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
3. Keeping enough wood stocked for our fireplace! Remember, happy wife = happy life ;)

I'll be honest...inspecting crawl spaces is not one of my favourite aspects of performing home inspections, BUT it is certainly one of the most important aspects of a home inspection. This is where the rubber-meets-the-road.

You know, there are many home inspectors who 'inspect' crawl spaces from their access opening only. They tell their clients that this visual inspection is all that is required to tell whether everything's OK. Some home inspectors say that it's too dangerous to enter crawl spaces and so they do not enter them for their own safety. With today's technology, a home inspector might even convince his client that sending in a little drone is just as good as him physically entering the crawl.  Not so, and you'll see why....

From day one, I've entered crawl spaces because the inside of a home can be pristine but what's going on under the house is just as important if not more so.

When a home has a crawl space, I put on my coveralls and breathing mask and off I go into the great abyss.  Most of the time, it's not so bad but I really don't like it when I shine my flashlight through the darkness and I see two little beady eyes staring back at me!  That has happened on several occassions. My clients are always happy to know whether there are 'free loaders' who call this their home.

The dampness of a crawl space is crucial because excess moisture can lead to wood rot and air quality issues.  When you think about it, the wood floor structure is exposed to the elements in the crawl space and that same floor structure is holding up the house!  I've seen wood beams, joists and floor plates look absolutely fantastic from the crawl space opening. Upon a closer look though, my awl has poked a hole right through a wood beam!  Also, examining the crawl space from all angles is crucial too.  From one angle, everything looks fine until you maneuvre yourself around and see it from another angle and gasp.

Here are a few of the things that I've seen in my 25 years of doing home inspections:

• Condensate drain lines from heating/cooling system discharging into the crawl which can cause water pooling
• Dryer vents terminating in the crawl space leading to moisture and mold issues
• No insulation on foundation walls which isn't too energy efficient and leads to cold floors and pipes freezing
• No vapour barrier on the ground and so moisture permeates from the ground
• Insulation in the floor cavity is a great nesting area for rodents
• Water pooling on the ground causing fungus growth
• Disconnected heating/cooling ducts aren't very energy efficient
• Poorly-sloped drainage pipes result in slow drainage and clogged pipes
• Corroded plumbing can be an insurance issue and lead to leakage
• Corroded heating/cooling ducts can lead to air leakage
• Deflections/buckling of foundation walls indicate a loss of integrity
• Beams that are improperly supported result in settlement cracks to interior finishes
• Burst plumbing pipes lead to water damage and mold
• Leaking toilets and showers are common but not known till you get in the crawl space
• Exposed wiring can be a safety issue
• Inoperative sump pump leads to water issues and mold
• and the list goes on and on....

​So folks, now you can answer the question as to whether it is important to actually go into a crawl space to properly inspect it? Here are just a few pictures illustrating my point.

With the recent ice storm, I thought I'd write about how the winter months can affect a home inspection. People buy homes throughout the year but during the winter months, some components may not be inspected as they are not visible or cannot be operated in cold weather.
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We at Home Inspection Consultants Inc. are like the post man. Our home inspector works through rain, sleet, snow and ice storms! ​
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People buy homes year-round, so we do home inspections no matter what the weather entails. There is no doubt that the weather will slightly hinder a home inspection, however a home inspection is still imperative when you are considering the huge investment of buying a home.

Other areas affected by the winter weather are sidewalks, driveways, grade and patios.  Many times these areas are covered with snow and therefore they are not visible for the home inspector to inspect. The home inspector will still educate you on what to look for when the weather clears and you can always call our home inspector to ask any question that might arise come spring.

Not all home inspection companies go up onto the roof but our home inspector does. However, if the roof is covered with snow and/or ice, this becomes a safety issue and the roof is examined from its edge.  ​The central air conditioning unit cannot be operated if the outside temperature is not a minimum of 65 F for three consective days. However, we do inform our client on the age of the unit and any visible issues at the time of the inspection.

So, although there may be limitations on a home inspection performed in the winter, it is still a very good educational experience and well worth the money and time so that the home buyer is informed on the current condition of his/her investment.

On the other hand, having a home inspection performed during the winter can be an advantage as it will reveal issues not readily visible in warmer weather. That includes burst water pipes (usually in crawl spaces) and missing insulation which is readily visible using the infrared camera.  Also, ice dams are noticeable in the winter as are areas of air infiltration such as around windows and doors.

So, don't shy away from a winter home inspection. Homes are typically cheaper in the winter and the snow and cold weather can reveal potential issues that are not visible in the summer months!

I thought I'd give you a peek inside a home inspector's tool bag.  My bag has certainly changed throughout the years.  I can't believe that when I first started performing home inspections in Windsor and Essex County over 25 years ago, my bag included a Polaroid Camera amongst other tools. Yup, back then, digital cameras were just starting to become available to the general public and so I'd use a Polaroid camera so my client got instant results. I thought I'd include a picture of a Polaroid camera for you young ones who don't know what it is.

Anyway, today's home inspector tool bag contains state-of-the-art equipment that helps the house inspector see and diagnose the various conditions of the home.

I come prepared with several ladders so every effort is made to reach what other home inspectors might consider inaccessible areas. Since a portion of the home inspection takes place outside, a large golf umbrella has saved many clients during inclement weather throughout the years. Once inside the house, I wear my slippers so that I can be as respectful as possible to the home-owner.

In addition to my home inspection business, I have also been doing home inspections in the Windsor and Essex County area for the Mike Holmes Group (you know the Holmes on Holmes TV personality). Mike insisted that his home inspectors get the best infrared camera to do the job right.  So, that's what I did and this camera cost about half of what I paid for my first house! This thermal imaging camera reads temperature differences which can indicate a number of things including moisture, air infiltration, and missing insulation.

I like my all-weather digital camera too.  It is frost-proof, water-proof and drop proof.  I remember when I got one of my first digital cameras, they were really expensive when they first came out and unfortunately not waterproof. One camera met its early demise in a sump pit. :(

Another important tool for a home inspector is the moisture meter. When an area looks suspect, I pull this meter out to pinpoint the exact location of the moisture pocket.  From there, I use my knowledge and experience to find out why the moisture is there and then I can provide useful recommendations.

A level comes in handy to confirm the slope of plumbing drains.  Of course, a multi-head screw driver is necessary for removing the electrical panel cover. I've got my trusty hand-vac too which has been used on several occasions after removing dusty attic access doors. Binoculars come in handy when inspecting the exterior of homes, while my telescopic mirror has enabled me to see up chimneys as well as around the corner in ducts. A strong flashlight is a necessity to illuminate attics as well as all corners of the crawl space.

When inspecting a crawl space, I wear coveralls and a good face mask. I know a home inspector who was very ill for months and the doctors believe it was from breathing-in material from a crawl space. 

Lastly, my carbon monoxide detector and natural gas detector have potentially saved a lot of lives over the years.

There you have it. I might have left a thing or two out but you get the jist of it. It takes more than a screw driver and flashlight to perform a thorough, comprehensive home inspection. A home inspector's tool bag has come a long way since the Polaroid Camera days.

The ‘hot’ housing market in Windsor & Essex County has negatively affected home buyers in many ways. As a veteran home inspector with 25 years of experience with the oldest locally-owned home inspection company, I have experienced the ebb and flow of the housing market. However, the current trend to eliminate home inspections from offers-to-purchase puts home buyers in a precarious situation. Home buyers are being advised to purchase a home with no conditions because a condition will jeopardize their offer even if their offer has a greater dollar value than the next.
 
The Ontario Government protects car buyers with the Used Vehicle Information Package and Safety Standards Certificate. Yet, the governing bodies are not protecting Ontario home buyers. With the current trend, whoever 'wins' or out-bids others with their offer-to-purchase does not truly know the condition of the home they are buying! Ontario home buyers should have the RIGHT to take the time to have a FULL home inspection performed by an Ontario Government-Recognized Home Inspector so that they can make an informed decision on their largest investment. If each offer-to-purchase had a home inspection clause, THIS would protect each home buyer and they would all be on a level playing field.
 
Our home inspector is now performing post-purchase home inspections and more times than not, the new home buyers are surprised with our findings and are in deep regret because they feel that they have no recourse – they’ve already bought the house. They all wish that they would have gotten the home inspection performed prior to making the decision on their biggest investment.
 
Why did the Government regulate the car sales industry with Safety Standards Certificates and Used Vehicle Information Packages?....to protect car buyers! When will the governing bodies protect Ontario home buyers? We are back to square one…Caveat Emptor (buyer beware).

I was going to talk about this week's "Polar Vortex" weather which affected us here in Windsor and Essex County and how to prepare your home for such cold weather, but instead I must speak my mind on what I heard on the radio this week.

I want to make my comments as precise as possible so I tried to google what I heard on the radio but couldn't find any information. So hopefully I'm relating what I heard accurately.

Anyway, here are my thoughts.  Every "Offer To Purchase" should include a mandatory FULL home inspection clause! Therefore, each and every home buyer knows exactly what they are putting an offer in on.  Just like buying a car....you have to get a Safety Certificate and a Used Vehicle Information Package right! But the Ontario Government doesn't feel it is necessary to protect home buyers like it is necessary to protect the car buyers. Instead, home buyers are pressured into putting in an offer without any conditions due to the home-buying market here in Windsor and Essex County.  Honestly, I don't think that disclosing the conditions of other offers is going to do much in terms of protecting home buyers.

What will protect home buyers is mandatory home inspections. Just like cars must have Safety Inspections and Used Car Information Packages, homes should have mandatory full home inspections performed by an Ontario Government-Recognized Home Inspector!  Seriously, it is just plain laughable that simply disclosing information on other "Offers To Purchase" will protect home buyers!  This will result in an auction-type situation and apparently some organization thinks that this protects home buyers lol. Whoever 'wins' or out-bids others with their "Offer To Purchase" still doesn't know the condition of what they are buying! People in power......please protect ALL home buyers by insisting on mandatory home inspections. Therefore no home buyer is pressured into buying a home without having the RIGHT to have a FULL home inspection performed on their largest investment!

Disclosing the particulars of other offers provides insight into how much another home buyer is offering on a home but does not protect anyone.  What WILL protect home buyers is the RIGHT to take the time to have a FULL home inspection performed so that they can make an informed decision on their largest investment.

Why did the Government regulate the car sales industry with Safety Certificates and Used Vehicle Information Packages? To protect car buyers! Now the Real Estate Board wants to 'protect' home buyers by disclosing information in other "Offers to Purchase"....That won't PROTECT home buyers!!  It will give them more information but it won't PROTECT them.  What will help protect them is mandatory home inspections.

The government stepped in and mandated Safety Inspections and Used Vehicle Information Packages on every vehicle purchased/sold. The RIGHT for each home buyer to have their own home inspection performed on the home they are considering on buying will give each and every home buyer the protection and leverage they need to go forth confidently with their Offer To Purchase. 

The government mandates vehicle inspections but not home inspections! This is mind-boggling and does not protect the home buyer in any way.  Yes changes need to be made to the Real Estate Industry but whoever suggested that disclosing the particulars of competing offers will adequately protect home buyers is seriously delusional.

Let's go back to the car industry. If you were to buy a car before the safety certificate and used vehicle package came into play, you would look at a car and if you were lucky, you could take it for a spin around the block and decide if you want to buy it without knowing anything about it's history or condition. That's the chance you took back in the day.

The government and Real Estate Board obviously think that is the chance you should take when buying a house....your largest investment.  Yes, because they are not insisting on protecting each and every home buyer with the RIGHT to have a full home inspection on the largest investment that they are likely going to make.

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.