You have sold your home at a great price, congratulations!!
So now comes the inspection. Many sellers fear the inspection even though they know their house is perfectly sound. A home inspection is designed to detect the minor and sometimes major deficiencies. It is not designed to bring your home up to current building code status.
The Ontario building code is a living document and often gets revised and changed as the need arises.
The inspection is designed to ensure the main features and systems of the home are in good working order. It’s very rare that an inspection doesn’t discover minor issues for the house. These things are brought to the buyer’s attention as things to be addressed before they turn into larger issues. Minor issues are not to be used as negotiations. When inspections can become an issue if something significant is discovered, for example; mould in the attic, moisture behind basement walls. etc. In these rare instances an agreement can be negotiated between the buyer and seller to still complete the sale.
Remember the buyer has purchased your home. They want the deal to close as well.
If your home has been well maintained during the time you have owned it, the inspection should not be an issue.
Generally, you are not present during the inspection so a few items you can do to make the inspection proceed efficiently are the following.
1. If your attic hatch is located in a closet, and many are, empty out the closet to allow access for the inspector to access the attic.
2. Ensure that your appliances are empty. The inspector will run a cycle in all your appliances to ensure they are working properly.
3. You may be in the middle of packing yourself, however if you can ensure that doorways and hallways are free of boxes and packed items it will make the inspection go quicker and easier.
4. If you have pets ensure they are either crated or taken with you as the purchasers and the inspector will be coming and going inside and outside. The buyers and Inspector do not want to be struggling with your indoor cat or dog making a bid for freedom to get outside every time they open the door.
5. Lastly don’t worry. In all likelihood everything will be fine and this is just a step in the process.