Charlottetown Home Inspections

Charlottetown Home inspections is proud to serve all of PEI, including the following Prince Edward Island municipalities and surrounding areas:

The cost for a home inspection depends on several factors, including the size, location and age of the property. For example, it is more expensive to inspect a 12-unit apartment building than it is to inspect a single family home. Homes that are in difficult to access locations can also add to the cost of a home inspection, given the additional time required to complete the work.

For a typical home inspection, one can expect to pay about $550 for a home inspector with the top qualifications. A home inspector with less experience or qualifications may save you $100 but given the large cost of a home, consider choosing a home inspector with significant experience. To get the most accurate price for your home inspection, contact us today at (902) 812-0050.

Buying a home can be an exciting but also a stressful time. First-time home buyers and experienced buyers alike, want to know that potentially the biggest investment of their life is going into a quality property that does not have major problems. Some buyers use a professional home inspection service to determine that their relatively new (or even brand new) home is in pristine condition with no problems whatsoever. Buyers of older homes can use a home inspection pro to either rule out major problems, or if problems are found, obtain the info needed to make an informed buying decision about the home.

Often, the cost of a home inspection ends up being much less than potential costs avoided from a problem, or the purchase price reduction negotiated because of an independent home inspection report.

In either case, whether problems are identified or not identified with the home you are considering, a professional home inspection report can give you peace of mind and confidence as you complete your home purchase.

Selling a home can also be an exciting yet stressful time. One thing that can sometimes disappoint a seller is that after they have received and accepted an offer for their home, and mentally started preparing for the next stage of their life, a problem is identified by the buyer during their home inspection process. These problems can sometimes cause the sale price of the home to get reduced below their originally desired price, or in some cases the sale completely falls apart at this point.

For these reasons, home sellers will often preemptively obtain an independent professional home inspection report of their own before listing their property for sale. By doing so, the seller can go in to the sale process confident that there are no major issues, or if there are issues found, they can make decisions to correct such issues before listing the home for sale. In either case, the home seller is prepared and can be more confident and expect fewer surprises along the way.

While you may not have the training of a professional home inspector, you can discover a lot about a house just by looking around at things like walls and ceilings (seeing potential water damage), testing light switches and power outlets, looking outside for drainage issues or water build up, inspecting the paint or siding, and more. Becoming familiar with the house will help you follow up on these issues with the home inspector and go deeper into those issues at that time.

Most home inspectors are happy to have you in attendance for a walk through at the end of the home inspection and can answer many questions you have. Be sure to point out any pre-inspection issues you identified to ensure they are addressed to your satisfaction.

A qualified home inspector will always take pictures during the inspection process. Be sure to ask for these pictures as they can be helpful for you to understand any issues and for later taking action on the issues as required.

The roof is a critical part of the home and is also one of the most costly to repair or replace. Try to determine the age of the shingles or roofing material and if any warranty exists. If it can be done safely, make sure the home inspector goes up on the roof during the inspection and checks for items such as curling or missing shingles, and also the chimney, vent or skylight for flashing issues or evidence of leaks. Also check for evidence of water leaks from inside the attic where possible, in additon to spotting issues with moisture, mold or insulation.

Like the roof, the foundation and basement are critical parts of a home and can be some of the most costly to repair or replace. A good home inspector will always inspect structural components including visible foundation and framing. If it can be done without damaging a finished surface, the inspector will also probe a sample of structural components where deterioration is suspected or where clear indications of possible deterioration exist.

Yes, this is one of the reasons home buyers use a home inspection. Many buyers hope for the best from an inspection, but prepare for the worst by including a home inspection clause in their purchase agreement. If problems are found, the home inspection report gives buyers critical information to help in making an informed home purchase decision.

No, a home inspection is not a guarantee or warranty on a home. A home inspector normally does not do invasive or destructive tests on a home (for obvious reasons as they could damage the property), and therefore a home inspection is not intended to identify concealed defects, or provide warranties or guarantees on a go-forward basis.

Rather, a home inspection is primarily a visual examination conducted by a professional, intended to identify significant deficiences, or home areas that are unsafe or near the end of life. These findings are documented after an on-site evaluation of the property based on the professional opinion of the home inspector, at the point in time of the inspection.

There are different types of home inspection companies in terms of the type of property in which they specialize to inspect. Residential home inspectors typically focus on inspecting homes in which one would live, including single family homes, townhouses, apartments, condos, duplexes, and triplexes. Commercial property inspection companies typically focus on larger properties including larger apartment buildings, commercial, retail, and industrial properties.

Regardless of the type of inspection you require, it can be helpful to evaluate the credentials and home inspection qualifications of the home inspector you are considering doing business with. In Canada, some of the designations and qualifications you may want to consider are the following:

Over and above the formal credentials a home inspector possesses, another important area to evaluate is the level of service provided and the attention to detail exhibited by the practitioner with other home inspection clients. Since many home buyers or sellers don’t use the services of a home inspector often, one way to evaluate a practitioner’s service level and customer satisfaction is by taking a look at home inspection reviews available online, or by speaking to friends, family members, or real estate professionals that have had prior dealings with one or more home inspectors. This, combined with confirming professional credentials, can help you choose the home inspector that is right for you.

267 Grafton St

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