Peter's Blog

Water Testing

Peter Gilbert (A Buyer's Choice Home Inspections HRM-South Shore) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:12:14 -0500

With real estate agents moving away from doing water tests in rural areas, I have added it to my list of services and my clients are happy. So are the realtors. In real estate, time is a very hot commodity. If I do the water test when I'm doing my inspection, it saves everyone time and money (depending on the lab).

Water testing is not rocket science but you do have to be very particular about how you do it. I always use lab provided bottles, alcohol swabs to wipe the faucet, and a hand sanitizer on my hands to eliminate any chance that I will be the source of micros.

Comments from my clients and realtors have been very positive and it's a great source or revenue for me. Win - win.

New Home Buyers

Peter Gilbert (A Buyer's Choice Home Inspections HRM-South Shore) — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 09:12:59 -0600

Buying a home in very exciting time for people, especially first time home buyers. For 'newbies' it can be overwhelming with all the processes that they have to go through enroute to their first home. Real estate agents are invaluable at this time. A good agent can take away alot of stress with a good schedule of events for the buyers.

One stressfull event on any home buyer's list is the home inspection. This is where any problems with the home are identified and pointed out to the buyer and agent if present. What I like to do is point out any potential or existing problems and then offer solutions to these problems. The idea here is to not burden the home buyer with having to come up with solutions on their own. First time buyer's find this most helpful for obvious reasons. It also seems to let the inspection go a little more smoothly for everyone. It is not the job of the inspector to incite a buyer or agent with unneccessary drama.

My report often has both problem and solution (suggested) in it and I have found everyone finds this very helpful. My goal is to make my part of the home buying process as painless as possible for all buyers, especially first time buyers.

Certified and Insured

Peter Gilbert (A Buyer's Choice Home Inspections HRM-South Shore) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 21:19:45 -0600

Something you may not think about when booking an inspector is certification and E&O insurance. Unbelievably, there are still inspectrors who are either not certified or not insured or both!! A Buyer's Choice Home Inspections uses only NACHI certified and E&O insured inspectors. With the ever increasing price of homes, it's just too important of a purchase not to ask if your inspector is certified and insured. Don't chance it, book A Buyer's Choice Home Inspections -HRM / South Shore today for your piece of mind.

Radon Gas

Peter Gilbert (A Buyer's Choice Home Inspections HRM-South Shore) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:16:29 -0600

Most people don't know where radon gas comes from or what effect it has on people's health. Radon is a bi-product of uranium and enters a home through cracks in the foundation or unsealed openings. Radon is odorless and cannot be seen. It is only detectable by sophisticated test equipment.

Radon is believed, by the scientific community, to cause lung cancer. The higher the levels, the higher the risk. The good news is there is remediation. There are several ways to reduce or eliminate radon from your home.

If you suspect you may be at risk, get a radon test done as soon as possible.

PreSale Inspections

Peter Gilbert (A Buyer's Choice Home Inspections HRM-South Shore) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:05:32 -0600

A presale inspection can help you get more money from the sale of your home. The benefit is that you will be able to identify potential problems before a buyer does. In doing so, you can make a small investment in repairs and reap much greater rewards. Wouldn't it be great to know if there was something that may disrupt the sale of your home.