
A home inspection is an important part of buying a home. It lets you know what to expect from the property you are sinking money into and whether it is a good investment. Since it is such a crucial part of buying a home, you may wonder if a home inspection is legally required in British Columbia. The short answer is no, a home inspection is not legally required to buy or sell a home in BC, however there are many reasons, both legal and not, as to why you should consider having a home inspection regardless of legal requirement.
Legal Responsibilities of the Home Inspector
For starters it is important to remember that a home inspector is legally beholden to the individual that hired them. The Inspector that you hire works for you and is required to provide reports on any defects or issues they find with the property. These reports can be used to provide legal evidence should there be any legal disputes involving the condition of the property.
Creating a Conditional Sale Clause
A home inspection can also be used to create a conditional sale clause when purchasing a home that will protect the buyer if the home inspector finds any major defects or issues when inspecting the home. Home Inspectors are also required to be licensed and certified by the provincial government and are often part of professional associations which will have their own standards of practice that the inspectors must abide by. This provides you with an extra layer of certainty that the person you have hired is qualified to perform home inspections and therefore able to provide you with the best information possible.
Conclusion
We hope that we have provided you with suitable reasons to hire a home inspector when buying a home even though home inspections are not mandatory in BC. We also hope that you will consider The Inspectors whenever you are looking for home inspection services in BC.
The Inspectors is a group of very experienced home inspectors who bring reliability and integrity to the practice of home inspection. These inspectors follow closely the established standards of the Canadian National Association of Certified Home Inspectors.
If you have any questions about this article or would like to talk to us about home inspection, we encourage you to call us at (778) 788-5301.