As some of you already know, Home Inspections are a service that we provide to GTA clients as a part of our consulting services. A few days ago I was contacted by a Real Estate agent to perform a pre-listing inspection on a property in Toronto.
If you don't already know, a pre-listing inspection is a thorough inspection of the property performed by a Home Inspector at the request of the seller. This is usually done to show potential buyers the condition of the home where some potential home buyers may be put off by some visible signs of concern.
It goes without saying that the findings in the report could either dissuade/persuade potential home buyers from making an offer. So the agent has a vested interest in the positive outcome of the home inspection.
Well, this particular agent took that vested interest to an entirely new level. 15 Minutes into the home inspection I discovered the poor condition of the deck. It was a major concern as it was not nearly up to code. It was missing posts, had no railings and screamed DIY. As the agent saw that I was inspecting the structure of the deck she interrupted me "Hey buddy, are you going to be scaring people off from buying this house?"
I brushed it off and continued my inspection, which lasted almost 3 hours. Before I left, she pulled me aside "Look, what we want to say in the report is that this house does not have any major hazards and concerns, every house has it's problems but this house has been well maintained...we're not trying to scare people from buying this house you understand?"
I have relatively thick skin. I submitted my report within 48 hours. Once she received the report, she called me. She claimed that I made some errors in my report.
For example:
-I estimated the age of the furnace to be 2-8 years old. She claimed it was only 6 months old
-I saw 2+ layers of shingles on the roof, she claimed there was only one.
-I listed the electrical as a Major Concern and recommended a licensed electrician or ESA inspector review the condition of the house. She claimed that everything was up to code.
I assured her, that if she could provide proof/documentation as to the validity of her claims that I would correct those items in my report and submit a new report.
Instead, what I received the following day was a bitter and vitriolic rant of how my report has caused her to lose thousands of dollars, how her client is enraged and how could I possibly have the nerve to make such findings in my report.
It is my duty as a Home Inspector to report accurately and unbiased on every component of the house. My report is often times what an unwitting home buyer uses to make the largest and most significant investment in their life. If I find anything that is of concern, I have a duty to report that in my findings.
The agent thought that she could "Tell" me what to write in the report and became increasingly harsh as she found that I would not "play ball".
I have since reported her to TREB and RECO. It is a scary thought that these people operate largely under the radar. Her client fancies himself a real estate investor and the pair have done over 8 deals in 10 years. Typical, the "real estate investor" does a few superficial changes to the property akin to lipstick on a pig and passes it off to an unknowing home buyer at an inflated price.
Unfortunately for these two, this time they hired someone with far too much experience in residential construction to fall for tricks.
As for her claims of the errors in my report, it has since been confirmed that the furnace is over 2 years old as I contacted the manufacturer/installer and previous HVAC inspector. I have also reported the property to the ESA and an electrical inspector will go by to investigate the hazards. Furthermore, I will follow up with the sale of this house and if I find that they misrepresented the condition of the property to the new home buyer then I will continue take measures to stop these people. I have attached a few pictures of my findings...you are free to make up your own mind.
If you are looking for a Toronto Home Inspector to perform a thorough evaluation of your property, give us a call. Toronto Home Inspections.
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