FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ – Everything you need to know about Home Inspections with Core Property Inspections.
If you still have questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.
A Home Inspection is a comprehensive visual examination of a property at a specific point in time. An experienced home inspector will be able to review the property as a system. After review, a home inspector will be able to identify operability, safety hazards, or other components that may affect the overall property. This will provide the client a better understanding of property conditions at the time of inspection.
A home inspection is a general review of the condition of the property. This means that an inspector is looking for general items that will be a concern, rather than an itemized list of every single deficiency no matter how small. Our concern is to identify items that may create a safety hazard, or potential incur significant costs to you.
Home inspectors also must follow a standards of practice, which is a guideline on how inspectors perform their inspections, and prepare their reports. For Core Property Inspections, we follow the guidelines of the Home Inspector Association of British Columbia (HIABC), and there guidelines here.
Yes, all home inspectors that are practicing in British Columbia are required to hold a valid license from Consumer Protection of British Columbia. You can go here to look up a home inspector by name or license number to ensure they are in good standing.
At Core Property Inspections, we serve all across the lower mainland. Including, but not limited to: Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, New Westminster, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Richmond, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Mission, Surrey, Delta, Langley, Abbotsford Please do not hesitate to contact us if the area you wish is not on this list to inquire.
Here are some general times for each type of property: Condos – 1 hour to 1.5 hours Townhouses – 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours Houses – 3 hours or more depending on size These times may vary, and are just estimations
No, a property cannot fail a home inspection. A proper home inspection does not evaluate a on a ‘pass / fail’ basis, but rather what the current condition of a property is, along with recommendations from the Home Inspection on the identified deficiencies.
Every inspection we do at Core Property Inspections includes a free infrared scan of the property.
As defined by FLIR, an infrared camera is a non-contact device that detects infrared energy (heat) and converts it into an electronic signal, which is then processed to produce a thermal image on a video monitor and perform temperature calculations.
What this means is through the camera, and reviewing the images, we are better able to pinpoint items such as moisture intrusion, gaps in insulation, or electrical overheats in a home, and better ensure that we are providing more accurate information on our reports.
A home inspection is for the benefit of our clients, and their understanding of the property. While it isn’t required to attend, we do encourage it. We find that the information we deliver is better understood when we can explain it in person, as well as sending a written report. We also recommend attending the inspection during the last 30 mins of the process. This is to ensure that the inspector can complete the work in a timely manner.
If you cannot attend the inspection however, we can still proceed. We have conducted many inspections where clients were not able to attend, and we are happy to call you after the inspection to explain any significant findings, and give you the opportunity to ask questions.
Home inspectors must leave a property the same condition as when they arrived, meaning no damage can be caused during the home inspection. This means that while an experienced home inspector can provide lots of information to a client about the property, there will still be visual limitations. Therefore it should be understood that a home inspection can only get information based on what is visible.
As mentioned before, a home inspection is based on a specific period of time when the inspector is present at the property, and a review of its condition on that day. This means after the home inspection, a home inspector cannot predict what may happen.
There is a perception that exists that condos don’t need inspections due to strata handling all required repairs. An experienced home inspector knows this is not true. There are many items that can affect the safety, or the operation of a condo within the property itself. While these items at times may be simplistic to fix, they may still be important to fix to ensure anyone living inside will not encounter any burdens in the future. Further, if you ask your Home Inspector to help review the common spaces, they can assist in predicting if any areas may need future attention, and may become an expense, down the road.
It is understood that hiring an experienced Home Inspector comes with a cost, and some may wish to conduct their own home inspection to save money. We do not encourage this for several reasons. It is best to understand that an experienced home inspector has reviewed many properties in the past, and understands where best to look for any deficiencies, which may include in a crawlspace, or an attic. Further, a qualified home inspector will take many pictures during the time of the home inspection, to document what the property looks like at the time, and ensure that it is similar at a later date. Lastly, a licensed home inspector carries the necessary insurance to conduct home inspections, further giving a client peace of mind.
We at Core Property Inspections try to accommodate any amount of notice for an appointment, depending on availability. If you wish to have the highest chance of booking the time you want, it is recommend to give at least 48 hours’ notice.
Inspectors do not test for asbestos and mould. This is because, to identify these substances, you would require lab testing. While we do not test for these items, we will identify areas that we suspect may contain these items, or situations where we would suspect these items are present. However, we would recommend that follow up testing be done to confirm any suspicion.
