Paying to Buy a House - Inspections

Posted on March 13, 2009 
Filed Under Buying Your New Home, Valerie Zinger

Before you decide on your new house, please take into account the other costs that you will be required to cover, in addition to the price of the home.  These costs, if you don’t prepared for them, can be shocking.  One cost will be for the home inspection(s).  

Without fail - get a home inspection.  I may have said it before but the only people who do not need to get a home inspection are home inspectors.  Perhaps you are buying a new home and the builder said her/she would do the final inspection.  Don’t depend upon this.  Get your own inspector.  One fellow told me that he found 50 errors/faults in a brand new home.  The cost for an inspection, in Ottawa, varies but is usually in the range of $300 - $450.

Do you have plans to open up the ground floor?  Maybe you want to remove walls and if this cannot be done, then you do not want the house.  Before buying the house, have a structural engineer inspect the house to see what can or cannot be done.  It will be too late to find out you cannot open up the walls after you buy the house.

Septic Field and water tests for rural properties where there are wells and septic fields, you will want to have the water tested and see the papers for the septic installation.  If these give you concern, you may want to get an estimate from a company on the cost of replacements and/or drilling.

Other special inspections and that may be a good investment will be based upon the type and location of your purchase.  For example, you may find it necessary to test for radon gas if you live in the Kanata or Chelsea area.   Has there been termites found in your area?  These are not common in the Ottawa area but if there is evidence of insects, you might want to have a pest control company inspect the house to help you determine the extent and cost of eradication.

You may want a full and current survey to ensure that your future plans for the property can be implemented. 

If it is waterfront property, you may have the opportunity to purchase the land owned by the crown at the water’s edge (if not already part of the property).  You cannot call the waterfront your property unless you have purchased it.  Don’t be surprised to see picnickers having a day at your beach. 

If you don’t think you can get the answers to your questions or get the inspections done in a few days, ensure that you have allowed enough time on your conditional offer to get the information that you need. 

Tests may lead to certain remedial actions that you, as the purchaser, will be responsible for doing or will want to include as a condition in the Agreement for Purchase and Sale.

It may seem like a lot of money needs to be spent but, if you have any concerns, it will be worth the money and time.

Photo credit:  Septic tank @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheriffof0/2368582820/

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ 613-723-5300 ~ vzinger@royallepage.ca

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