If you're in the real estate market and looking to purchase a new home in Kelowna or the Okanagan Valley then a good home inspection should one of your top priorities.

There are still some home buyers out there that feel that a Home Inspection is not necessary. Why pay someone else a few hundred dollars to test the dishwasher and make sure all the outlets work?  You can do that yourself – right?  Buying real estate is a very important decision and you want to make sure that you know exactly what you are buying. 

The purpose of a home inspection is to look at safety, quality and the overall condition of things both visible and not so visible.  Most home inspectors look at the structure, foundation, electrical systems, plumbing systems, roofs, attics, basements, crawl spaces, gutters, drainage, walls, floors, ceilings, porches, decks, the property and home site.  If you are not a trained expert in all of these areas you may not be able to see a hidden issue.  Some examples of some very visible things that you may not be able to see:

   Can you find faulty wiring?
   Do you know how a dryer should be properly vented?
   Can you identify a toilet that needs to be replaced?
   Do you know how to tell if the fireplace is unsafe or needs replacing?
   Do you know what to look for to see if the tiles in the bathroom have been properly installed?

With so many real estate buffs & Do-It-Yourselfers out there, it’s even more important to have a professional take a look at your new home and make sure that things have been done properly.  The cost of a home or real estate inspection can easily pay for itself and helps you determine if you are paying a fair price for the property.  If the home has several repairs that need to be done, you might be able to negotiate with the seller and have them contribute to the cost of these repairs.

Make sure you have realistic expectations.  No piece of real estate is perfect – the goal is to make sure the home you are interested in buying doesn’t have any existing costly defects and that you know exactly what you are buying.

The Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors of British Columbia #5 - 3304 Appaloosa Road Kelowna, BC V1V 2W5 Phone: 1-800-610-5665 Fax: (250) 491-2285 Accredited Property Inspections 704 Schafer Rd Kelowna, British Columbia V1W 1G1 Phone: (250) 764-7870 Dream Home Appraisal Corp. 9-3151 Lakeshore Drive #199 Kelowna, BC V1W 3S9 Phone: (250) 860-4400 Toll free: 1-866-342-4455		Pillar to Post - Kelowna 103-3677 Hwy 97N Kelowna, BC V1X 5C3 Phone: (250) 765-4134 Fax: (250) 861-4934 Checkmark Home Inspections Phone: (250) 861-7009 Toll Free: 1-866-861-7009 Global Property Inspectors Phone: (250) 492-2440 Toll Free: 866-492-2440 Fax: (250) 492-0395 C4U Building Inspection Bill Mann Phone: (250) 765-4434 Email: c4u@telus.net		Home Pro 15718 Greenhow Rd. Lake Country, BC V4V 2E6 Phone: (250) 861-1802 Fax: (250) 548-3837 Griffin Inspections 4600B Trepanier Rd. Peachland, B.C. V0H-1X3 Phone: (250) 767-3377 Mobile: (250) 878-3303 Building-Pro Inspections Gene Fisher Phone: (250) 862-1054 Email: buildingpro@shaw.ca