Home Inspections for the home seller.

Pre-Listing / Home Seller House Inspections
It is typical that a potential home buyer will conduct a home inspection on your house prior to the final signing of the agreement. And sometimes the home inspection can reveal issues that jeapordize the deal, very often because of a bunch of minor repairs that could have been remedied before you listed the house. It is also possible that a larger, more serious issue is present that you may not be aware of and could be fixed right away.

You may as well know what their inspector may find, by getting your home inspected before you list it, or even just after you list your home.
Having a home inspection performed ahead of time can help you in many ways:

• Relief of buyers suspicions and concerns.
• Will help with pricing the home.
• Repairs can be done ahead of time.
• Avoid negotiating over defects.
• Encourages buyer to waive their own home inspection condition.
• It may alert you to items of immediate personal concern.
• Allows you to see your home through the eyes of a critical third-party.
• Reduces liability by adding supporting documentation to your disclosure information.
• Alerts you to immediate safety issues before agents and visitors tour your home.
• Studies show pre-inspected homes can sell twice as fast!
• Copies of the report along with receipts for repairs can be made available to potential buyers.
• The inspection process is as thorough and detailed as our Pre-Purchase inspection.
• You can also choose to upgrade their inspection to include an infrared thermal imaging scan.

Visit our website: http://www.nookncranny.ca/ to read more about this and other servics offered, or contact me today to book an inspection.

Hamilton home inspections

A recent inspection shows why wood burning stoves and fireplaces should be checked and cleaned annually.

When I opened the damper to look up the flue, three dead birds fell out. Not nice, but more importantly, it indicates that the screen at the top is compromised and could easily allow birds to build a nest, blocking the flue. Which of course could cause smoke to billow back into the house.

Vermiculite insultation



Vermiculite insulation found during a recent home inspection.


There have been many ads running lately on television and radio regarding Vermiculite insulation and the health concern that it may contain a type of asbestos. Some people say remove it, others say leave it. It's difficult to know the right thing to do and unfortunately, your home inspector is not allowed to answer this question for you either.
The best thing you can do is educate yourself on the matter. If you or your home inspector does find vermiculite insulation, you have some options. The first and most important option is to have it tested to see if it does contain asbestos. If it's your own home, send a sample to a registered lab. If it's a house you are buying and the inspector finds it, then you could ask the home owner to have it tested, or ask permission to take a sample for testing. Not all vermiculite does contain asbestos, so it may be a worthwhile exercise.
The next option you have is whether you want to have it removed, or live with it. There are pros and cons in each case and you should weigh your individual situation out carefully. Think about the potential issues you may have with re-sale for instance, or if you have a young or soon to be born family... these are important considerations. You might be OK with it, but I have had clients that walked away from the house after it was found- they just didn't want to have anything to do with it, even if the seller offered to have it professionally removed and replaced with new insulation.
Anyway, I have included some links on my website: http://www.nookncranny.ca under asbestos in the homeowner information tab, that will lead you to two reputable publications regarding the potential health concerns and what steps can be taken.
As always, please don't hesitate to contact me or post a comment if you have time.

Darren