What Are the Most Common Home Inspection Issues?

In Canada, you might hire a home inspector to evaluate the condition of a house that you’re willing to buy.

You might ask, what’s the need to hire an expensive professional for a mere inspection?

In general, there exists an extensive range of deficiencies and issues that are identified by home inspectors in any house property.

The issues recognised by an inspector will range from significant problems related to the foundation or structure of a home to minor issues such as bathroom fan being noisy and door not latching.

However, there are some common issues that you must know about. Here’s a list of a few most significant home inspection issues that your appraiser might put in their report:

Electrical Safety

If at any point in time, the house was remodelled or updated, the house might be prone to some electrical issues. The inspectors frequently find the below listed electrical issues at homes:

Missing clamps and bushings at the main panel

Double-tapped circuits in panels with no room for expansion

Junction boxes with exposed wiring and missing cover plates

Faulty electricals are one of the most common issues in Canadian homes. If it’s listed as one of the potential safety hazards in any inspection report, you must address it immediately.

Lack of GFCI Outlets

It’s crucial to get GFCI electrical outlets installed in any area of the home that has an increased risk of shock due to electrical hazards, such as water.

The demand for GFCI protection in any home across the country has increased gradually over the years. That’s one reason why every home inspection in Calgary AB has a special check for GFCI electrical outlets in house properties.

Inspectors check for functional GFCI’s at the below-listed locations:

• Garages
• Crawl Spaces
• Bathrooms
• Outdoor Areas
• Laundry Areas
• Boathouses
• Kitchen countertops, and even
• Unfinished basements.

Roofing Defects

Most homebuyers don’t find a need to get their roof inspected unless a leak develops, or a major storm comes through.

During home inspections, the inspectors usually find broken or missing shingles, hail damage or damage from trees that might be just a bit close to home.

Any of the above roof damage can lead to expensive repairs or replacements.

Attic Ventilation & Insulation

Many houses are reported to have insufficient insulation levels, missing or displaced insulation and inadequate attic ventilation.

These become the key factors that can directly affect utility bills, the performance of the attic, and overall comfort of the house.

Additionally, inspectors also find issues such as crushed or missing baffles and improper ventilation in the attic or bathroom.

Wood Maintenance

Wood products over time are exposed to various elements, which requires regular maintenance. Most inspectors find decks that haven’t re-stained or sealed in a few years. As a result, they show signs of deterioration and wear, or wood siding.

Ignoring such signs for too long can peel off the paint and chip it off, exposing bare wood to the elements.

Plumbing Problems

Most inspectors are to find the plumbing issues of slow-to-drain sinks, tubs and leaky fixtures in any home. However, it’s vital to fix them; if not addressed, they can lead to big headaches.

Mineral or scale build-up is another problem that they might recognise in the houses of particular communities that deal with hard water, which can affect the performance of shower-heads and faucets.

You could ask the seller of the house if they were having an annual service check-up and cleaning of the installed water equipment.

Maintenance of Driveway & Service Walk

Weather conditions can be harsh on both asphalt and concrete material.

With an asphalt driveway, the most common issue is that of deferred maintenance. As a general rule, homeowners must plan to seal an asphalt driveway every 1 to 2 years. It becomes more important to seal it when the colour of individual stones starts peeking.

For concrete driveways or service walks, settling and cracking is most common. It’s better to seal the cracks and address the areas of settlement right away to prevent a small issue turning into a more significant repair or replacement project.

Final Thought

Most of the issues that are witnessed during a home inspection are due to delayed maintenance or lifespan of the material or the equipment. However, these issues are easily fixable at cheap rates.

It’s always good to keep in mind that you will be served with a solution to every problem or defect by your home inspector. However, if any significant flaw is identified, you will be suggested to think before you make a purchase.

Share the common issues that you might have witnessed during any home inspection!