It’s home renovation season, and many of your clients will be tackling home improvement projects with the hope of helping sell their homes soon, while others will be planning for future sales.
It’s important for them to understand the value a home inspection can bring to the equation before renos get underway so their goals of making more money on a sale don’t end up breaking their budgetary or time constraints.
Renovations are an exciting undertaking that can turn your client’s property into a dream home for their family and/or potential buyers, but they can also be quite stressful — especially if unknown issues are uncovered once renos have begun.
By having their home inspected before renovations get underway, your clients will have a better understanding of how such things as mechanical systems and structure could impact planned renovations. They’ll then be able to add these to their budget and better plan for all scheduled projects while also helping prevent delays. They may also choose not to tackle certain projects before listing.
How can a pre-reno home inspection help?
There are several ways that a home inspector can help out with determining how your client’s renovation plans may impact their existing home systems and structures, including:
- Mechanical Systems: Do the electrical, heating, cooling and/or plumbing systems need to be upgraded in order to meet the needs of the renovation plans? The inspector will help the homeowner understand if any mechanical systems need to be upgraded and what this will entail.
- Structure: Will a wall move be in the plans? Is it load-bearing? Will doors/windows be added or relocated? How will this impact the home’s structural support system? The inspector will help determine if a wall is load-bearing and, if so, what must be done before taking it down/changing its current setting.
- Basement: Are you finishing or renovating a basement? The inspector can help advise about special considerations when working on a basement, including reducing/eliminating dampness and minimizing the risk of water damage and mould growth.
- Roof: Is an addition part of the plans? How about a skylight? These types of projects could lead to additional roof work. The inspector will help determine if new roofing is required throughout or if it’s possible to simply work with existing materials.
Homes should be inspected after renos too
Renovation problems typically stem from the use of sub-standard materials, poor workmanship or unfinished projects. To the untrained eye, it can often be difficult to know if a homeowner is getting their money’s worth. (And the same can hold true when having a new home built as well.)
A home inspector can assess a renovation job nearing completion to ensure everything’s being done correctly. This can save your clients time, money and a world of grief if their contractor isn’t completing renovations properly.
Regardless of where your clients are in the renovation stage, it’s important for them to understand how helpful it is to their peace of mind and investment to have inspections carried out to make sure money and time are being well spent.
Cliff Campbell is a regional owner and member of the National Leadership Team at A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections (ABCHI) Canada, as well as a Certified Master Inspector (CMI) and the local owner of the Lethbridge, AB ABCHI franchise. Having performed 6,000+ residential and commercial property inspections, Cliff has a passion for raising the bar in what buyers, sellers and their realtors should expect from a professional inspector. He can be reached at: https://abuyerschoice.com/partners
