All In One Home Inspections Inc. License #47159
236 Lodgepole Drive V9P 2Z1 Parksville, BC, Canada

2020 has not seen much of a change in numbers in real estate in BC - except for HOW they occur. In 2020, buying homes in a pandemic has seen many changes. Often..., buyers are looking to their real estate agents to provide a virtual presentation of homes and with the limited inventory in BC, homes often move quickly. This has increased the number of times buyers submit an offer sight unseen. Many times, agents are doing the footwork for clients, using FaceTime to give them detailed, real-time video and critical walk throughs of the homes they're considering. Thus giving buyers the option of safely touring homes. However, home inspections are more essential than ever. When an accredited member of HIABC inspects homes, we provide a detailed report to the buyer, listing any issues that they see through a thorough inspection process. Particularly when buyers are unable to look at the house in person, it is essential that these buyers have a trusted home inspector, in order to provide a comprehensive report listing any issues the buyer should be aware of. This is why choosing an inspector who belongs to HIABC really makes a difference. Because they adhere to a code of ethics, which eliminate conflicts of interest, and maintain a professional arms length between the home inspection and real estate industry, you can be confident that your home inspection is protecting you.

So you’re ready to put in an offer. And you’ve got a subject to home inspection subject in there. Good for you! Now is NOT the time to drop the ball. It might... seem easier to just take the advice of a realtor at this time, but doing your homework now is more important than ever. Not all home inspectors are created equally, or run their business the same. Although ALL home inspectors must be licensed through Consumer Protection BC, your protection may just stop there. The home inspector has a minimum scope of inspection and may not even adhere to any code of ethical behaviour as directed by an association. They may even have allegiance to the selling agent, which puts you at risk. Belonging to an association is not a requirement (any more) to conducting a home inspection business. That is where hiring a home inspector who belongs to HIABC makes a difference. HIABC and its accredited members are committed to protecting you by: Providing and requiring members attend quality educational and training opportunities Creating and using best home inspection practices Adhering to a Code of Ethics eliminating conflicts of Interest Maintaining a professional arms length between the home inspection and real estate industries to ensure consumer confidence Working with the BC Government to raise the level of excellence for home inspections in BC Holding our member inspectors to our higher standards and business practices Providing a 1-800 number for consumers to call with questions about the Industry, our Association, or our Members Providing a fully staffed office to offer full time support and assistance to our members and the public See more

I cannot tell you home many times I see this in new construction

Only have the minimum down payment? That means not skipping out on the house inspection. If you only have the minimum down, and you stretched to pull it togeth...er, you can’t afford a house with unknown problems that come to light after you buy because you don’t have enough money to fix them. Houses develop problems over time; that’s in their nature. You’re going to have leaks, breaks, and unavoidable maintenance and repairs. Condos, for their part, come with maintenance fees that never go backwards, so a deal that only works if your costs never rise is a deal that’s pretty much doomed to fail. See more

Just a clarification We are not obligated to wear "hazmat suits"

Just a heads up!

HIABC Inspection Guidelines during COVID-19 Epidemic This protocol is designed to reduce the risk of HIABC home inspectors bringing the Covid-19 into the home or carrying it from one inspection to another. This provides the best possible protection for the occupants of the inspected home and future homes, the home inspector and the community at large. The general environment that home inspectors work in guided the development of this protocol along with guidance from Provin...Continue reading

A message from our association president Bob Hamm On a day where we have seen the published cases (CBC News) of COVID-19 infection rise by more than 30%, we feel it is important to follow avoidance recommendations issued by our BC and Canadian health agencies. Every day new published information shows us why home inspections cannot be considered safe. While we can follow precautions, we cannot eliminate risks. ... No one knows the health status of all parties involved and there is no method to determine risk. We cannot guarantee an asymptomatic home inspector is not contagious, or that any other parties involved in the transaction are not contagious, or that the home is not contaminated. We support social distancing and recommend our members discontinue performing unnecessary home inspections for the time being. No one is immune and the only way to get through this pandemic is to deny the virus new hosts. The board does not have the authority or desire to require you to stop working. We understand that everyone has their own issues to consider when deciding to work or not. This is a decision we leave to you. If you decide to do home inspections, you should assume that you, the house and other parties are contagious, and please take all available precautions. We ask you to make this decision with your family and larger community in mind. I am pleased to see how our members are supporting each other, even when they have made different choices, on the new Facebook discussion page. Thanks for being a supportive community. HIABC will continue to share information and support you through this pandemic Please stay safe Bob Hamm

We always encourage client participation during our inspections however; due to the current health crisis we are enforcing the following protocols starting immediately.: 1- We must be informed prior to the scheduled inspection if anyone in the home has been ill in the last 2 months in order to help us plan our safety requirements during the inspection ... (gloves, masks or sanitizers as required) . 2- Both buyers and sellers cannot be present during the home.inspection Realtors will be required to accommodate access only. We will lock up Buyers will receive a telephone summary once we return to the office . 3- We cannot accept cash or check transactions. Only e--transfers (preferable) or credit cards will be accepted for payment Thank you for your understanding in this matter Steve Klassen CMI AHI

We are in the process of updating our marketing and would love it if our past happy home buyers would post a review for us on google and/or yellow pages. Thanks for taking the time :)

This article by my American colleague Charles Buell nails it.

Wishing our clients and colleagues a Festive Holiday and Happy New Year!

In the Real Estate industry the term "good bones" is used liberally

A cautionary tale in Mayberry. Looks like Opie is a future home inspector! Good on you, Opie.

So true -and I make sure to let all of my clients know that ahead of time

During a home sale, who should pay for a WETT inspection (level 1 or site basic) The seller or the buyer? Scenario # 1... 1- The seller is told that their wood burning system will require a WETT inspection prior to sale of the home 2- The seller pays for a level 1 WETT inspection Level 1 WETT inspection protocol does not require the inspector to traverse the roof or attic (use a ladder or specialized tools) during the inspection 3- The buyer and their insurer rely on that WETT report 4- 3 months after purchase there is a chimney fire resulting from combustibles too close to the chimney in the attic Does the WETT inspector in question have any legal obligation to the buyer? (the buyer did not contract the WETT inspector’s services) Scenario # 2 1- The buyer contracts a home inspector to inspect the home as well as provide a WETT inspection (home inspector is WETT certified) 2- The inspector traverses the roof and attic as part of their standard home inspection procedures as required (if reasonably accessible) 3- The inspector discovers combustible clearance issues in the attic and a damaged chimney on the roof 4- Repair or replacement costs are negotiated with the seller 5- There is no gap in liability In summary, the buyer should always be the party contracting the WETT inspection If the seller is paying for the inspection it should be a level 2 inspection, which does include traversing of the attic and roof

... From Scott McGillivray's HGTV site. "If you’re buying a house and trying to decide if you should get a home inspection I can make it really easy for you t...he answer is YES. In today’s market it’s not uncommon for people to forgo a home inspection in order to make their offer more appealing to the seller, but this is a huge gamble. You may get the house, but you might also get a whole host of unexpected and expensive problems with it. If you want to decrease your chances of getting burned when buying a home, an inspection is key. When you don’t get a home inspection you’re relying on the seller to disclose everything that’s wrong with the house. This is risky because some sellers just won’t do it, while others genuinely might not know. Having an impartial expert come in and evaluate the house is the best way to get an honest, informed opinion." See more