Water is the Enemy
I know there are a lot of home inspectors to choose from in North Vancouver & the Lower Mainland. So, the important question arises – how do you ensure that you are hiring the right home inspector to inspect, possibly, your largest investment?
Just like you want to make sure that your realtor has your best interests at heart, the same is true of your home inspector.
I was recently asked the 5 most important things to consider when hiring an inspector, and thus, this list was born!
#1: Experience And Knowledge
While this may seem like an obvious “given”, it goes deeper.
- How long have they been in business?
- What was their previous background?
- But, more importantly, can they express their knowledge in an easy-to-understand manner?
It’s all well and good to tell you that there is a crack in your foundation, but what does that mean moving forward? Is it a “deal-breaker” kind of crack? Or the typical kind found in most concrete, generally caused by the natural curing/settlement process?
You may be told that your kitchen is missing GFCI outlets, but that is far from helpful if you don’t know what a GFCI is in the first place, or what it does. An inspector who uses common vernacular and stays away from industry jargon will be invaluable in this case.
#2: Association Member
There are two home inspection associations in BC, but membership is not required as part of the licensing conditions through Consumer Protection BC.
I personally belong to the larger association, the Home Inspectors Association of British Columbia, because they require higher standards of education, training, and report writing for their membership.
Continuing education each year and superior report writing mean that members are sued so infrequently that we get a much better rate on our Errors and Omissions insurance than do non-members.
Did You Know: British Columbia and Alberta are the only two provinces where licensing is required for home inspectors, and HIABC was instrumental in fighting to make this happen.