Dream home becomes nightmare for Ontario family who passed on home inspection
An Ontario family who purchased their dream home said their experience has become a nightmare because of what they learned after waiving a home inspection.
For many people, buying a home is the largest purchase they will ever make, which is why it’s usually a good idea to have it checked by a home inspector first.
However, in a red hot real estate market, with bidding wars, some sellers are asking buyers to waive home inspections.
"It's taken a toll on me and my family because it was supposed to be our dream home and right now it’s a disaster, a nightmare," Lisa Song, whose family waived the inspection for their dream country home, told CTV News Toronto.
Song, who used to live with her family in Brampton, said she wanted more peace, quiet and space in the countryside, which is why they went looking for the home in Halton Hills, northwest of Toronto.
They lost a bidding war to buy the house in March of 2020, but days later the seller, who was also the listing real estate agent, contacted them to say they could buy it as long as they increased their offer and waived getting a home inspection.
"They asked me to waive the home inspection, and I hesitated a little, but she said if I want the home I had to waive it, so I waived it," Song said.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they didn't move in for several months, but once they did, they found there were problems with the water supply.
"We found there is no well water being pumped into our house because there is no well water," Song said.
Song said they had to install water holding tanks and other equipment in their basement at a cost of $10,000.
Then, she said there were also major issues with the septic system and due to new environmental regulations, it's very expensive to replace.
"It's going to cost me another $120,000 to replace the septic," Song said. "I almost fell to pieces knowing I would have to get a mortgage to fix the septic."
Song said there are other bills to repair leaks in the basement, which include installing waterproofing and having repeated visits from experts trying to diagnose problems.
Leigh Gate, president of the Ontario Association of Home Inspectors, said he thinks it’s a “big red flag” when sellers want to waive a home inspection.
Gate said in a hot real estate market, buyers may be asked to waive an inspection, but he said doing so can be extremely risky.
“In early fall, I would say in 2020 when the seller’s market took over and people simply couldn’t buy a house with that condition (having a home inspection), because there was always somebody right behind you that was willing to buy the house without having a home inspection take place,” Gate said.
Song said in hindsight, she regrets waiving the home inspection.
"I strongly suggest not to waive it," Song said. "If [they] have something to hide that's when (the seller) will say to waive it."
A home inspection will cost about $500, depending on the size of the property and there may be extra costs to check wells, swimming pools and out buildings.
People are urged to check an inspector's credentials to see if they belong to an association that offers training and has ethical and professional standards.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.