Welcome to our inaugural issue of our official Road to Home Renovation and Inspection newsletter. We are proud to be able to send out valuable information to our preferred customers regarding their homes and investment properties. Dino, the manager/owner of this company has a passion for designing and renovating homes so naturally; this is more than a job for him. It is a labour of love and in tune with this, he is now inspecting homes as well. He is an authority in this field and wishes to share his experience, knowledge and expertise with you.It is a known fact that the largest investment you will make in your life is your house. And yet very few people actually possess knowledge or have information pertaining to various aspects of their home. Our newsletter is here to provide you with information and facts regarding that very special place that you call home sweet home.Your house is a structure made up of a roof, exterior and the internal ‘workings’ of a home which include systems like heating/cooling, plumbing and electrical. Just like a car or a piece of machinery, these systems can break down or wear out. An informed homeowner knows what to do to prevent this from happening and thus eliminating the surprise of huge bills. Maintenance is a key issue here which, when done regularly can save you thousands down the road. Every major component of a house has a reasonable life cycle or life expectancy. You should expect to pay 1 percent of the value of the house per year on maintenance. Translated this could mean at the very minimum of a few thousand dollars per year in repair costs. This may seem a bit surprising, but it in fact, is true whether the house is expensive or not.
IMPORTANCE OF HOUSE INSPECTION
When buying an existing home, a potential homebuyer must always consider the age of the house they wish to purchase and set realistic expectations as to the life cycle of the components and mechanics of the house. If, for instance the house of your dreams is 15 years old, you may need to have the roof replaced. Or, if you are in love with a more vintage style 50 year old home, it may be reasonable to expect to upgrade the plumbing. The following is a list of life cycles on the most common parts of a home. (Bear in mind that there are exceptions to all rules)
- Roof- Conventional Asphalt Shingles 12-15 years
- Roof- High Quality Asphalt Shingles 25-30 years
- Gutters and Downspouts 30-30 years
- Exterior Paint 4-6 years
- Interior Paint 5-10 years
- Deck 10-20 years
- Asphalt Driveway Surface 10-20 years
- Conventional Furnace 20-25years
- High Efficiency Furnace 20-30 years
- Air Conditioning Condenser 10-15 years
- Toilet 20-40 years
- Sink 12-20 years
- Faucet 10-15 years
- Windows Depends on maintenance
A good home inspector has knowledge about all of the above and has been qualified by taking industry related courses and obtaining a diploma. When shopping for a home inspector, always ask for their qualifications. Dino has completed the Home Inspection course at Seneca College and is a member of the Ontario Association of Home Inspectors. A home inspection should take between 2-3 hours depending on the age of the house. Older homes may take a bit longer. A home inspection includes looking at all the major systems of the house including the roof, exterior, structure, electrical, heating, cooling, plumbing, insulation and interior. A qualified home inspector’s job is to identify any existing major problems that would affect a purchaser’s buying decision. Home inspectors are limited to doing their inspection visually and can give you significant knowledge of the home. Call Road to Home for a professional home inspection which will allow you to make that purchase or sale with peace of mind and confidence.
