Yes, you should get your new home professionally inspected prior to completing the purchase and the sale should not go through until the inspection is completed and all nonconformities are fixed.
First off where and how do you find a good home inspector? Should you accept the recommendations of your agent? or maybe check out the better business bureau? No, you need to go further! Here are the steps that we recommend.
#1 don’t trust anyone, especially anyone who is going to profit directly or indirectly from the purchase or who will lose out if the sale does not go through.
#2 Do your research. Search for recommendations, search the name of the company, search the company name + complaints.
#3 Ask for some names and numbers of former customers that you can talk to.
#4 Ask if the inspector is licensed and insured. Often they have error and omission insurance. This insurance is for them not for you! see this article and there are more.http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/buyers-left-with-big-bills-when-home-inspectors-miss-defects-1.1330879
#5 Ask the inspector what he is going to bring to the inspection.. a paper and a pencil isn’t good enough. Are they going to bring a thermal imaging camera and show you where your heat loss is?
Are they going to test for Radon? http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/healthy-living-vie-saine/environment-environnement/home-maison/radon-eng.php Are they going to test for co2 Carbon monoxide?
it’s easy enough for them to bring a detector http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_monoxide_detector
Are they going to get the water tested? Water testing is readily available and if you request it and do your research you’ll be better off safe than sorry.
Can your inspector get access to the original drawings for the dwelling and go through them with you to make sure all permits were acquired. That all renovations were up to code and that no load bearing walls were accidentally removed.
What other questions can you ask of your home inspector?
Be very careful when buying a house for buying a house is buyer beware and once you are in the house it’s your problem.
