A Home Inspection
Although the conversation about licensing and regulating home inspectors and their businesses has made it's way to three Canadian provinces, for the most part, home inspectors and their home inspection business are unregulated for the most part in Quebec as yet, but are somewhat under the guidance of the OACIQ, to better protect you. There are 4 Home Inspection associations they approve of;
- InterNACHI Québec - Download the Standard of practice
- (NBIEA) National Building Inspectors and Experts Association (NBIEA)
- (AIBQ) Québec Association of Building Inspectors (AIBQ)
- (ATIB) Association des thermographes en inspection de bâtiments (ATIB)
Defects and Deficiencies.
A material defect on the other hand is a specific issue, with a system or component of a home, real estate property, that may have a significant or adverse impact, on the value of the property. One that poses an unreasonable risk, safety or value, to people. The fact that a system or component is near, at or beyond the end of its normal useful life is not, in itself, a material defect.
Major defects fall under;
- Structural failure;
- Conditions that can lead to major defects, such as a roof leak;
- Issues that may hinder your ability to finance, legally occupy, or insure the home if not rectified immediately; and
- Safety hazards, such as an exposed, live buss bar at the electrical panel.
What really matters in a home inspection? A home inspection is supposed to give you peace of mind but, depending on the findings, it may have the opposite effect. You will be asked to absorb a lot of information over a short period of time. Your inspection will entail a written report, including checklists and photos, and what the inspector tells you during the inspection. All of this combined with the seller's disclosure and what you notice yourself can make the experience overwhelming. What should you do?
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