Ottawa Property Guide · ottawapropertyguide.ca
Home inspection question card
Tick each step as you complete it. Statuses below are the ones saved in your browser when this sheet was printed.
Date printed: 22 September 2026, 7:07 pm
Choosing an inspector Before you book anyone
| Done | Step | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Engage the inspector yourself. A referral is fine — being their client is the part that matters | Not Done | |
| 1.2 | What are your qualifications and association memberships, and how long have you been inspecting? | Not Done | |
| 1.3 | How many homes like this one have you inspected — same age, same type, same era of construction? | Not Done | |
| 1.4 | Do you carry errors and omissions insurance and liability cover? | Not Done | |
| 1.5 | Can I see a sample report before I book? | Not Done | |
| 1.6 | What does it cost, how long will it take, and what would make it take longer? | Not Done |
Before the inspection Set it up so you get the most from it
| Done | Step | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | What is included, and what is explicitly not? Ask about the roof, attic, crawl space and anything not visible | Not Done | |
| 2.2 | What is available as an add-on — thermal imaging, sewer scope, radon, water testing, wood stove — and would you recommend any here? | Not Done | |
| 2.3 | Confirm you can attend. If the answer is no, book someone else | Not Done | |
| 2.4 | Make sure access is arranged: attic hatch, electrical panel, garage, crawl space, locked rooms | Not Done | |
| 2.5 | Tell them what you already noticed at the viewing, and what you are worried about | Not Done |
On the day The most valuable hours you will spend on this house
| Done | Step | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | Follow them round. Ask them to show you rather than describe it | Not Done | |
| 3.2 | How old is the roof, furnace, water heater, electrical panel and windows — and how long has each got left? | Not Done | |
| 3.3 | Roughly what does each significant item cost to fix or replace? | Not Done | |
| 3.4 | What is the single thing that worries you most about this house? | Not Done | |
| 3.5 | Is there anything here that is a safety issue rather than a maintenance one? | Not Done | |
| 3.6 | Any evidence of water — past or present? Ask specifically about the basement and the grading outside | Not Done | |
| 3.7 | Does anything look like unpermitted or amateur work? | Not Done | |
| 3.8 | Ask for the verbal summary before they leave. It is usually franker than the written one | Not Done |
Reading the report Severity matters more than length
| Done | Step | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | When will the report arrive, and can I call you with questions after reading it? | Not Done | |
| 4.2 | Sort the findings by severity and cost, not by the order they appear. A long report is not automatically a bad house | Not Done | |
| 4.3 | Which items are urgent, which are this-year, and which are simply the age of the building? | Not Done | |
| 4.4 | Which findings need a specialist to price properly — roofer, electrician, structural engineer? | Not Done |
Acting on it What the findings change
| Done | Step | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.1 | Does anything here change what the house is worth to you, or whether you want it at all? | Not Done | |
| 5.2 | Discuss with your agent whether to ask for a price adjustment, a repair, or nothing | Not Done | |
| 5.3 | Get a real quote before negotiating on a number. An estimate from the inspector is not a quote | Not Done | |
| 5.4 | Turn the this-year items into an actual budget before you close, not after you move in | Not Done | |
| 5.5 | Keep the report. It is your maintenance plan for the first five years, and useful again when you sell | Not Done |
Summary
| Total checklist items | 28 |
|---|---|
| Completed | 0 |
| Not completed | 28 |
| Completion | 0% |
| Overall status | Not Started |