OAHI Warns Home Buyers To Look Before They Leap

The cost of the Canadian dream has literally gone through the roof in recent years. And whether mortgage rates are up or down, the purchase of a home still represents the largest investment most families ever make in a lifetime.

The Ontario Association of Home Inspectors (OAHI), an organization of professional home inspectors in Ontario, warns home buyers to fight the temptation to jump quickly at what may first appear to be a good deal.

Most houses for sale today, old and new, have defects or repair needs, many of them serious. In these cases, any savings achieved through lower mortgage rates or purchase prices can easily get absorbed by unanticipated repair costs after the family moves in.

Defects often go unnoticed by the average person, but are quickly and accurately identified by a qualified home inspector. The smart consumer, therefore, will take the time to call in and accompany a professional home inspector for a thorough and impartial inspection of the condition of the house before making a final decision.

OAHI inspectors recommend that even before the official "inspection, home buyers can do some checking of their own that will tell them a great deal about the condition a home is in when they first see it, and before they start falling in love with it.