Inside Edge Home Inspections
  • Home
  • Services
  • Mike's Blog
  • Our Story
  • Credentials
    • Guarantees
  • Contact Information
  • What to Expect
    • Sample Report
  • Privacy Policy
Home Inspector Blog

Michael Burfitt

​Internachi certified professional inspector
Halifax, nova scotia

Inspection Priorities (Part 1)

8/23/2021

Comments

 
While I pride myself on being incredibly thorough in my inspections, the simple fact is that we home inspectors simply do not have the time to document every single issue within a home: as much as I am proud of being extremely thorough and meticulous, I know it is important to maximize my time by focusing more effort on the big issues that greatly impact safety, efficiency and/or have a significant financial impact. Here are some examples of where I focus my attention:

Roof
I recently did an inspection where the roof was not visible from ground level and was approximately 20 feet off the ground. It was a struggle to get a good look at it but I am glad I took the time to do that. To put it nicely the roof was in very bad shape and needing a roofing contractor to evaluate it and replace the shingles as soon as possible. Not only are roof jobs expensive but contractors are usually booked well in advance and even small leaks can cause significant damage.

Electrical
I have previously touched on this in a past blog post: not only is a home’s electrical system very important from a safety point of view (electricity kills and electrical fires are far too common) but also from a functional point of view. Due to skyrocketing housing costs the average size of a household is growing along with their electrical needs. For example, a system designed for 2-3 people can encounter significant issues and require expensive upgrades to accommodate a household of 6. I also see a concerning lack of smoke and Carbon Monoxide (CO) detectors.

Foundation
While foundation cracks are very common and usually a result of simple settling (all buildings settle), some cracks can be symptoms of major structural problems that can cost well into the 5 figures to correct. Fortunately, while catastrophic problems are rare it goes without saying it is not something I want to miss.

HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning)
There is no easy answer for what the best HVAC system is as every option has its pros and cons: in my home I have successfully replaced most of our electric heaters with a ductless mini split system but this may not work for you. One area of concern for me is the large number of older systems still in use: while they can last for years to come, they could potentially fail at anytime and do not take advantage of modern energy efficiency.

Another thing to consider is that many homes in Nova Scotia do NOT have mechanical cooling. Given the recent hot and humid summers this is definitely something home buyers outside of July and August should be aware of.  

Drains
I can’t tell you how many homes I have inspected that are missing floor drains, particularly near washers located on the top level of a home. When we moved into our home, the water tank burst before we could arrange a replacement and we woke up to a flooded basement on day three as the drain was covered by rigid insulation (and that's another blog post!) and I did not yet get a chance to correct it. It can be difficult to add proper drains but at least a home buyer can be aware of the potential issues from a washing machine or water tank.

This list is by no means exhaustive but merely a sample of what is important to be focused on during an inspection. I am not as concerned about finding the $100 issues as I am the $10,000 issues and how to identify a potential money pit or an unsafe home.
Comments

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021

    Categories

    All
    AED
    AFCI
    Air Conditioning
    Aluminum
    Anode Rod
    Ants
    Arcs
    Asbestos
    Attic
    Balcony
    Brick
    Building Inspector
    Carbon Monoxide
    Children
    Chimney
    Circuit Breakers
    CO Detectors
    Communication
    Contractors
    Cost
    Criticisms
    Current
    Deck
    Drains
    Drywall
    Eavestroughs
    EIFS
    Electrical
    ERV
    Exterior
    Failed Seals
    Female Inspectors
    Fiber Cement
    Fire Safety
    First Aid
    Flips
    Flooring
    Foundation
    Framing
    Fuses
    Garage
    GFCI
    Grow-Ops
    Heating
    Heat Pumps
    HGTV
    Hoarding
    HRV
    Humidity
    HVAC
    Ice Dams
    ICF
    Infrared
    Insulation
    Ionization
    Joe Mazza
    Kitchen
    Kitec
    Knob & Tube
    Lead
    Manufactured Houses
    Marijuana
    Masonry
    Meth
    Mike Holmes
    Mini Homes
    Misconceptions
    Mobile Homes
    Moisture
    Mold
    Newcomers
    Oil Tanks
    Open Concept
    Orangeburg
    Personal Decor
    Pests
    Photoelectric
    Plumbing
    Polybutylene
    Pressure
    Price
    Psychrometrics
    Radon
    Rain Gutters
    Real Estate Agents
    Regulations
    Resistance
    Roofing
    Safety
    Septic
    Sewer
    Sewer Scopes
    Sheds
    Shipping Containers
    Siding
    Smoke Detectors
    Staircases
    Stove
    Structure
    Stucco
    Temperature
    Termites
    Trailer Parks
    Trees
    Value
    Ventilation
    Vinyl
    Voltage
    Walls
    Wasps
    Water Heater
    WDOs
    Windows
    Wiring
    Wood

    RSS Feed

Picture
Inside Edge Home Inspections Ltd. 
Halifax, NS
(902) 209-9921
info@ieinspections.ca
Proudly Serving the HRM & Surrounding Areas
Picture
  • Home
  • Services
  • Mike's Blog
  • Our Story
  • Credentials
    • Guarantees
  • Contact Information
  • What to Expect
    • Sample Report
  • Privacy Policy