Home inspections: the top ten problems

Every buyer has a different idea of the ideal home, but all of them want one that is fundamentally sound, in the places beyond the immediate sweep of the eye, and that will be a safe, comfortable and efficient foundation for life behind the new door. A good inspection is how you know. These are the ten issues that come up most often in Greater Vancouver homes.

1. Water intrusion and drainage. Our climate is wet. Grading that slopes toward the foundation, blocked perimeter drains and failed flashing are the most common and most expensive findings.
2. Roof condition. Age, moss, lifted shingles and inadequate ventilation. Ask for the roof's age and whether any warranty transfers.
3. Building envelope on older wood-frame condos. Rain-screen retrofits, stucco cracks and window seals; the strata's depreciation report should corroborate what the inspector sees.
4. Electrical. Older panels, aluminum wiring in 1960s and 70s homes, double-tapped breakers and missing GFCI protection.
5. Plumbing. Poly-B piping in homes from the late 1970s to mid-1990s, galvanized supply lines, and slow drains that hint at root intrusion.
6. Heating systems. Furnaces and boilers past their service life, and hot water tanks older than about ten years.
7. Attic and crawlspace ventilation. Condensation, mould and inadequate insulation hide where nobody looks.
8. Foundation cracks and settlement. Most are cosmetic; some are not. The inspector will tell you which.
9. Windows and doors. Failed seals, rot at sills and poor operation.
10. Deferred maintenance in general. Small things that together tell you how the home was cared for.

How Nadia uses the report

An inspection report is a negotiating document as much as a technical one. Findings that were not disclosed can justify a price adjustment, a repair credit or, if serious, walking away under your inspection subject. Nadia works with inspectors she has watched do thorough work, and she reads every report with her clients before subjects are removed.