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FAQs
At Desert Valley Home Inspection we do our best to answer all of your questions. Below you will find a list of what we believe are the most frequently asked questions. If you have any questions that have not been answered below, do not hesistate to contact us.
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A typical home inspection has numerous elements. There is the site visit and inspection itself, a verbal review with the client, and the written report. Depending on the size, age and condition of the house, timelines can vary significantly. It is critical that the inspector has ready access to all areas and/or systems. If certain areas are inaccessible, the client may need to reschedule and pay for a return visit to the site
Typical House Inspection – 2.5 to 4 hours for the inspection plus time for verbal and written reports
Typical Condo Inspection – 1 to 2 hours for the inspection plus time for verbal and written reports
A home inspection is a comprehensive visual examination of the home’s overall structure, major systems and components. A trained and qualified HIABC home inspector will review your house as a system, looking at how one component of the house might affect the operability or lifespan of another. Components that are not performing properly should be identified, as well as items that are beyond their useful life or are unsafe. The purpose of the home inspection is to provide the client with a better understanding of the property conditions, as observed at the time of the inspection.
Consumer Protection BC’s website states: A home inspection is an educational process which is designed to reduce a consumer’s risk when buying a home, and is not a guarantee or a warranty on a property.
Desert Valley Home Inspection Services start at $450 for a single family detached dwelling less than 1000 Sq/Ft and $350 for a 1 bedroom/1 bathroom condo. Pricing will be based on:
Type of Home (House, Townhouse, Condo, etc) as well as size and complexity of the inspection.
Characteristics of Home (square footage, number of living units, etc)
Extra Costs (built before 1970, detached garages, driving distances, etc)
Location (different regions of BC have different market prices or amount of travel to location)
We will be able to provide a firm quote in advance of the inspection.
Payment is required to be made in full, prior to receiving the inspection report. We will email an Invoice and we kindly ask you to pay using E-transfer. We do also accept most major credit card.A full detailed report will be emailed to you within 24 hours of the inspection completion.
We recommend that clients attend the final 20 minutes so we can do a walk through and go over any major deficiencies there may be with the property. You can also take this opportunity to get more familiar with your new home, to take measurements of rooms and/or windows. More importantly, you can ask your home inspector questions on the spot. We recommend that you not bring your family; this is a technical evaluation, and you will be interacting with the inspector — the fewer distractions, the better. Please let us finalize our inspection before you ask us your questions, as we will share our findings with you and may be able to provide the answers you were looking for. However if you do have questions, please don't hesitate to ask at the end of the inspection. If you are unable to attend the home inspection at all, we will give you an overview of the major issues over the phone.
Homeowners should be aware that inspectors cannot move personal effects during the course of an inspection. Here are a few suggestions to prepare a home for an inspection:
Remove any furniture and stored material from around access panels, crawl spaces, attic hatches, electrical panel boxes, furnaces, hot water tanks and water shut-offs.
If the access panel to the crawl space or attic is in a closet, you might want to remove the clothes from that closet or cover the clothes with a sheet, in order to protect them from bits of insulation and debris that might fall down in the process of removing the access panel.
Over friendly or unfriendly dogs or other family pets can complicate the inspection process and are best keep either away from the house or in a contained space during the period of an inspection.
You do receive a written report. It would be unfair to ask you to remember all of the things we cover during a home inspection. The report includes a summary of the condition of the home and details on all the major systems of the home. It is delivered within 24 hours after the inspection.
No. The goal of Desert Valley Home Inspections is to report on the condition of the house based on examination & evaluation of the various systems, indicating potential repairs and expenses. Ultimately, it is your decision as to whether or not you buy the house. The home inspection is very important but it is only one piece of the puzzle. Only you know all of the factors at play.
A home inspection is a professional opinion based on less-than-complete information. It's a little like getting a check-up from your doctor. It improves your odds of good health but there is no guarantee or warranty.
Some problems can only be discovered by living in a house; they cannot be discovered during a home inspection. For example, some shower stalls leak when people use the shower regularly, but don't leak when you simply turn on the shower on and off to confirm it is operational. Some roofs and basements only leak when specific weather conditions exist. Some problems will only be discovered when carpets are lifted, furniture is moved or finishes are removed. As such, Desert Valley Home Inspection cannot and do not offer a warranty on the house.
Jason is the primary inspector at Desert Valley Home Inspection. However, in certain cases (such as an exceptionally large home) a second HIABC/CPBC licenced inspector is available.
Jason Walker is a graduate of the Carson Dunlop Home Inspectors Training Program (Canada) and a member of the Home Inspectors Association of BC.
He has 20 years experience in the construction industry and is a Journeyman Electrician. His knowledge of the building process and life experience make him a very knowledgeable home inspection professional.
Desert Valley Home Inspections is ready to serve as quickly as possible depending on availability - we endeavour to work around clients timeframes and can often arrange an inspecton even on short notice.