Is a home inspection worth it?
Yes, on any property you have not had inspected. It costs several hundred dollars against a purchase in the high six figures, and its job is to price the next ten years of the building rather than to find a reason to walk away.
Understand what you are buying. An inspection is visual and non-invasive: no opening walls, no lifting carpet, no dismantling the furnace. It reports what was visible on the day and it is not a warranty.
What makes it worth the money is the cost estimate it lets you build. Age and condition of roof, furnace, air conditioner, water heater, windows, electrical and plumbing, plus evidence of water. Add up everything within five years of the end of its service life and you have a real adjustment to what the house costs you.
Attend it. Three hours walking the house asking what each finding costs is worth more than the report.
In a competitive market, the way to keep this protection is a pre-offer inspection: you pay a few hundred dollars on a house you may not get, which is the price of being able to bid firm without gambling. Buyers who do this on three houses and win the fourth have spent well.
Answer it with your own numbers
You will need: municipality.
Find inspectors, with the insurance each record listsNext questions
How do I choose a home inspector?
A home inspector's designation comes from a professional association rather than from the province, so it is voluntary and there is no provincial register to check it against. Ask for a sample report, confirm you can attend, and confirm they carry errors and omissions plus liability insurance.
Ontario
Can I renegotiate the price after a bad inspection?
You can ask, if you have a live inspection condition. Your leverage is the ability to walk away, so bring a written contractor quote for the specific defect rather than a page from the inspection report.
Ontario
What should I actually look for at a showing?
The six numbers that cost five figures: the age of the roof, furnace, air conditioner, water heater, windows and electrical panel. Then look for water. Ignore the finishes entirely.
Market practice