Home inspection costs and what to expect

Should I get my home inspected?

Home inspections are extremely important for those that value legal protection, safety, and avoiding costly issues that come out of nowhere. Check out our other article, The Importance of Home Inspections for a deeper dive into why you shouldn’t skip this step.

What do home inspectors look for?

A professional inspector will tour the property, room by room, and identify any problems that relate to structure, functionality, pests, and more. Both the interior and exterior of the home will be examined, allowing for a thorough inspection.

Examples of what a home inspector might find

So what kind of problems could a home inspector discover? Here are some examples.

• A sinking foundation will need to be redone for the home to be safe and insurable
• A rodent problem that has resulted in them chewing your electrical wires, creating a fire hazard
• Roof shingles will need to be replaced due to age or a leak in the attic
• Inconsistent water flow from the kitchen faucet
• Drainage problems in the kitchen or bathroom
• Broken cabinets
• Mould or mildew in the basement

As you can see, some of these problems are minor and can be via a quick trip to the hardware store. However, the others can cost thousands of dollars in repair costs.

If you are about to purchase a home, would knowing that you need to spend thousands of dollars to make it safe and habitable affect your offer price? For many people, it makes a big difference. In this way, shelling out the costs for a home inspection can potentially save thousands of dollars down the road, or avoid headaches completely.

What to expect from a home inspection

A home inspection typically takes between 2-4 hours, depending on the size of the home. The home inspector will look at exterior features of your home such as your roof, the structure of your porch, condition of the stairs, and anything else that can get damaged over time. Evidence of rodents and other pests are looked for both outside and inside.

Once inside your home, expect the inspector to crawl up into your attic, take note of slow running faucets, broken light fixtures and windows, and other cosmetic problems. They will also inspect the quality of your fixtures, look for water damage (especially in basements), check for single-paned windows, and other similar potential problems.

Once the inspection is complete, it can take a bit of time for the report to be written up. However, many companies can accommodate this within the same day. The report will contain a thorough breakdown of what the home inspection revealed for its major systems, along with images and graphs. Sometimes approximate repair costs are included for major items, as it can affect offers within real estate listings.

If you are about to purchase a home, would knowing that you need to spend thousands of dollars to make it safe and habitable affect your offer price? For many people, it makes a big difference.

Having a pile of work to do on your potential new home can make or break the deal. If you’re still planning to buy, you now have more leverage for a lower offer.

On the flipside, if you are selling your home and a potential buyer gets an inspection, they might uncover problems you didn’t know you had.

In this way, shelling out the costs for a home inspection can potentially save thousands of dollars down the road, or avoid headaches completely.

What is the cost of a home inspection in BC?

Someone looking for a home inspection in Nanaimo, for example, should budget around $500 to have it done, depending on how large the property is and if there are any extra amenities that take a considerable amount of time to look over.

A small condo will likely cost less, while a larger single-family home may cost a little more. Extras like a workshop, guest suite, or pool will increase the cost. The rest of the province follows this trend, with the typical home inspection cost ranging from $300 to about $700.

Below are some home inspectors that either advertise their prices online or provides estimates upon request:

• ABC Home Inspections
• Clarity Home Inspections
• Davies Home Inspections
• Above The Bar Home Inspections
• A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections

All home inspectors in BC are required to be educated and licensed. As these inspections can carry weight in a court of law, make sure you are hiring a licensed home inspector before payment.

Get peace of mind by building a custom home

Purchasing a home can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. On one hand, you’re excited to move into your new home, but on the other, you may be wondering how big the repair bill is going to be just to make it safe to live in. One of the best ways to move into a home worry-free is to have it custom-built by a reputable building company.

One of the best ways to move into a home worry-free is to have it custom-built by a reputable building company.

Ballard Fine Homes specializes in building custom homes on Vancouver Island. Our clients, including celebrity Marie Osmond, describe working with our team as a trustworthy and pleasurable experience. Our homes are fully customizable and built with high-quality materials by trained professionals. If you want to have a beautiful home without compromising on quality, contact Ballard Fine Homes today to get started.

This article was originally posted on August 2, 2023. We have since updated it with more valuable information for our readers.