As a home inspector and recent home purchaser in Ontario you can imagine how frustrated I was by the lack of detail in the seller's SPIS (Seller Property Information Statement) or disclosure. In Quebec, where I'm from originally, disclosure is standard practice. Yet time and time again, Ontario sellers were reluctant to provide one, which is a deal breaker for me. In many of those that were provided, major conditions obvious to a home inspector, were left out purposely. I know this because the seller had insurance claims which are public record and can be easily verified.
Fortunately, there are third party providers that homeowners and home inspectors can use to find all the skeletons in the closet before making a purchase decision. The Home History Report includes information on any past insurance claims associated with the property, such as records of water damage, fire, floods, theft and damage caused by natural disasters.
The Home History Report also provides the home inspector with essential information on any municipal building permits taken out on the property, unclosed building permits, possible grow-ops and/or meth labs formerly on the property.
A home inspection that starts with a detailed Home History Report is tailored to the specific needs of your home and targets problem areas. It helps our civil engineer know what to look for and what the potential issues are in your home. For example, if the property has five bedrooms, but the building, utilities, well & septic are designed for a three bedroom home, we'll let you know how that impacts on your purchase.
No comments:
Post a Comment