Are you are planning to stay in your house a while? Manage it wisely with the help of our home inspection service. Use the inspection report to guide you in planning renovations and repairs, to increase the safety, comfort and investment value of your house for the long term.
New Homes
New homes are held to a higher house inspection standard than older homes. Meticulous Inspections is trained to recognize and categorize, under the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors (CAPHI) New Home Inspection program, over 250 categories of specifically warrantable items – just for new homes.
Resale Homes
Meticulous Inspections is comfortable inspecting not just bungalows and houses from 1950+, but the much older housing stock in the heart of the city, which comes with the variety of generations of wiring and plumbing and renovations.
Sellers
Make sure you know the condition of the house before you put it on the market. Don’t get caught with your wires hanging in the breeze.
Elders
Your house is not getting any younger either. Have it checked out to find out how it can be made safer for you to stay in, and ways to maintain it to protect the value of your estate.
Landlords
Get a handle on your property condition and where you need to target your repair dollars.
Comfort
Toronto can be damp in the summer and dry in the winter. The condition, age, condition and type of your furnace, ducting, air conditioner, insulation, windows, and doors will play a big role in how comfortable you are.
The water distribution system has a direct impact on your daily life. Low water flow, too hot, too cold, slow drains, smells, and leakage – many folks put up with problems for some time, or not realize there is an issue that can be fixed. Sometimes you aren’t sure who to call – a home inspector can guide you to the types of fixes and trades you need.
Air quality
Your household environment affects the quality of your life – the air that you breathe inside (dust, gasses, freshness); the humidity (too dry or too damp; temperature (drafty, poor circulation); mold, mildew. What is sitting over your head in your attic? What about the air blowing through your furnace ducts? Poorly sealed ducts and poor air balance are a couple of things that might be discovered in a home inspection.
Rationalize renovations/repairs
A home inspection can have a quick payback by helping you find groups of items in need of repair or upgrade, so you can consolidate home repairs. For instance, on one recent inspection, the owner knew about a light switch circuit that did not work, but not about a receptacle that had a potentially hazardous reversed polarity. Now one visit from an electrician can fix both problems.
Were you thinking of replacing an old toilet? The home inspection confirms that a toilet upgrade would be a good idea, and also found previously undiscovered water staining under the kitchen sink from a failing faucet. Now is a good time to check for sales on plumbing fixtures and pick out some ones to suit your taste and budget and then call a plumber to install in one service call. Hint: you can write down the SKU # and colour of larger items at the store then give the contractor the # and where they are in stock so the contractor can pick them up.
Getting a warning from the inspector that items are near the end of their life or a safety concern can help you be more proactive and targeted in repairs to avoid more expensive and urgent repairs later.
Enjoyment
Using the home inspection to carefully target your repairs and upgrades means you can appreciate the increased safety and benefits of your home upgrading while living in it. Once you start using that smooth, modern new faucet and bright, clean low flush toilet, you’ll be enjoying your home more.
Safety
How safe is the house you are living in? What type of wiring is inside the electrical panel? How about that older wooden deck you are planning to use as a party area? Where should carbon monoxide detectors be installed?
What if that electrical receptacle (where you plug stuff in) doesn’t have a cover plate – that’s cosmetic anyway right? To an unsuspecting user it may not look like a big deal, but there are live wires inside that box that could electrocute a curious child or pet – yours or a visitor’s. Installing a cover plate is a simple fix.