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
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING 14 suspects arrested in grandparent scam targeting seniors across Canada: Ontario police
An interprovincial investigation into an 'emergency grandparents scam' that targeted seniors across Canada has led to the arrest of 14 suspects, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.