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1-1
 All Around The House™
The Newsletter of Electrospec Home
Inspection Services
Volume 1 Issue 1, October 1997
- Home Inspections - just another expense?
- Questions & Answers - Who is Electrospec?
- How To Get the Most out of a Home Inspection
Home Inspections...
Just another expense?
Congratulations! You've found the
perfect home for your purchasers, and now it's time to do the offer and close the deal.
If your purchasers are like
many, they may be feeling a cash crunch by this time. They may be wondering why they would
want to incur yet another expenditure, such as a home inspection. A valid consideration!
In our experience, a home inspection can do two important
things.
Firstly, your purchasers will
have an unbiased, professional opinion of the overall condition of the home, and an
understanding of any areas of concern. Your purchasers can be made aware of hidden or
unrecognizable defects or potential problems in the home. Sometimes the
knowledge gained during a home inspection can provide enough confidence to
get people over the hump.
Secondly, and equally important, is the
opportunity to have a thorough explanation of how to operate and maintain the home. The
inspector can give your purchasers a wealth of information about the different types of
systems and components in the home. He or she will also cover how each system works, life
expectancies, current conditions, and advice that will help the future home owners to move
in and live more successfully in their new home.
Purchasers
can use the inspection as a seminar in home ownership.
10 Tips for Best Value
Here's some tips you can give
your purchasers on how to get the maximum out of their home inspection:
- Recognize that from a structural or mechanical point of view there are
few, if any, perfect houses. Don't be
disappointed if the inspector indicates numerous items in the house that need repair,
maintenence or monitoring. Most of these items will likely be minor in nature. Only a
small percentage of homes have significant structural or mechanical deficiencies.
- Ask questions. If you're not sure - stop
the inspector and ask. Inquire about timing for suggested repairs. Should
they be done immediately, or can they wait a month, or a year? This will help the
purchasers determine their budgets more accurately.
- Ask for possible solutions for any areas that need repair. There's usually more than one way to make a repair. The more options you have,
the better the choices you can make for yourself.
- A pre-purchase inspection can be used to view the house more objectively.
And this can assist you in being more comfortable with your purchase.
- Realize that the age of the home may have an impact on the condition of
the systems and components. However, "older"
does not necessarily mean problematic. Many older materials and workmanship are of high
quality, and have longer life expectancies than their modern replacements.
- Do your research and choose an inspection company wisely. Not all companies offer the same services and levels of professionalism.
- Look for someone who is a professional home inspector. Even an architect or an engineer is not automatically a good home inspector.
- Inquire about the level of experience of the individual inspector. Finding the symptoms and clues of problems, and deducing their meaning can't be
learned by building new homes, or doing reno-vations. On-site practical experience is
proven to be the best preparation for inspecting resale homes.
- Look for an inspector or company you feel comfortable with, in terms of
their ability to communicate with you. An inspector should
be able to empathize with your individual situation - otherwise you may lose a valuable
opportunity to learn the most about your new home.
- Finally, if you can hold that any problems or defects are not something
"terribly wrong" with the property and look
at them simply from "how much will it cost, in terms of time or
money, to correct things - then you'll have a better, and more objective understanding of
the true nature of the situation.
.
The Bottom Line:
A pre-purchase home inspection won't eliminate all the risk associated
with home ownership. It can however, be a value-added, information gathering
process
that gives your purchasers a better understanding of their new home.
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1-1-2
You Asked Us:
Q: Isn't it true that your job is to find fault with
houses?
A: Well, yes to an extent… but we also like to think
that our job is to help purchasers make informed decisions… and a home inspection
can save money in the future by showing them how to make only the necessary
repairs, and in the most cost-effective manner.
Q: What is Electrospec?
A: Electrospec is a privately owned inspection
firm, which has been operating between Peterborough and Kingston since 1993. Electrospec
also provides pre-pack inspections & damage assessment for commercial moving and
storage companies. Gil Strachan, whom you may have been familiar with from Homespec
Building Inspections, now represents Electrospec.
Q: How do I book a home inspection for my clients?
A: To book a home inspection, call 613-394-6954 or
toll-free 1-888-394-6954 from anywhere and the dispatcher will confirm an inspection
appointment for you.
Q: How much notice do you require?
A: Unless we're fully booked, there's always an inspector
ready to go. But, it's best to call us one or two days ahead if possible,
so you can be better assured of the appointment time you and your clients prefer.
Electrospec®
Oshawa, Peterborough, Cobourg,
QuinteRegion, Prince Edward and Kingston
(613/888) 394-6954
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