Category Archives for News
J Thompleson in Coquitlam Just Reviewed Us on Homestars!
Thanks to J. Thompleson in Coquitlam for our latest Home Inspector Review!
We did a home inspection for J. Thompleson’s new purchase – a detached home in Coquitlam, which was built in 1986.
“Fairbairn Home and Building Inspection did an inspection of our new home to ensure we weren’t buying a lemon. He went into great detail about the issues he discovered and walked us through everything we needed to know to remedy them. He was friendly and his expertise was evident. I would highly recommend him for any and all home inspections :)”
Saving Home Buyers Money
We were able to save the buyers money on their Hot Water Tank, Leaking Plumbing and a failed Microwave that needed a control-board replacement.
Call us today to book your next inspection! 604 395-2795
New Customer Review from Erik P. in New Westminster
Thanks to Erik for writing our latest review on HomeStars.com:
“My wife and I purchased a fixer-upper home that required much work and we wanted to get an idea on which repairs we needed to tackle first before the cosmetic upgrades. We hired David and he was very thorough and very knowledgeable.
He discovered some foundation settlement, in the corner of the house, that showed signs of possible movement causing the floor to sink 1 inch. He suggested to get it reviewed by a concrete specialist for stability before any renovations take place.
Walking through the inspection with David was a pleasure as he educates you on his findings and gives you maintenance tips. I HIGHLY recommend David for any type of home inspection. Worth it!”
-Written by Erik P. in New Westminster, BC
Erik called me to inspect his home after he had already purchased it; he was bidding in a multiple offer situation and didn’t want to risk adding a subject to his offer. The inspection was to help establish what needed to be done to the home prior to renovating it.
The inspection turned up some settlement issues at the front corner of the home, as well as some electrical safety concerns – about one third of the home’s receptacles were wired with reversed polarity. Reverse-polarity receptacles may cause premature appliance failure, as well as potential shock when the occupants of the home try to change a light bulb. The normally neutral screw cuff becomes energized!
I was able to give him some advice/maintenance tips on upgrading his hot water tank, as well as maintaining his 15 year old furnace. We also found several minor recommendations for the newly-installed roof , such as sealing flashings and modifying the range hood exhaust duct.
The full review (and our other 127 reviews) can be found here!
News: Fairbairn Inspection Services Featured in Dirks Real Estate Team Newsletter
In November, Fairbairn Inspection Services was featured in Mike and Jennifer Dirks’ Real Estate newsletter as a recommended Home Inspector!
Thanks to Mike, Jennifer, and Oakwyn Realty, for trusting us to take great care of your clients!
A copy of the newsletter is below:
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Service For Life! ®
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Inside This Issue…
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| Dear Friend…
In today’s Service For Life!® Free consumer newsletter, you’ll learn three ideas for happier holidays, the new Oakwyn Realty App, what to do if you’re being followed, how to get the designer look for less with eyeglasses – plus fun facts, a trivia challenge, and lots more. Mike & Jennifer Dirks
REALTOR® P.S. When you notice people talking about real estate in the next few weeks, can you tell them about the free consumer information we provide? They may be people with a growing family and they need more room. You can help them buy their dream home for a lower payment than they might think is possible by mentioning our Free Consumer Report “7 Secrets For Saving Thousands When Financing Your Home.” To request a copy for a friend, simply email us by clicking here. |
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Today’s Brain Teaser . . .
I can sizzle like bacon, I am made with an egg. I have plenty of backbone, but lack a good leg. I peel layers like onions, but still remain whole. I can be long like a flagpole, yet fit in a hole. (see answer below) |
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How Safe Is The Bottled Water You Drink
Don’t be fooled. The bottled water you’re drinking may not be any safer than your tap water. According the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) out of the USA, some bottled water sold in the United States may contain bacteria and/or chemicals. And 30 percent of bottled water sold in the U.S. comes from a city or town’s tap water! The NRDC cited one incidence where a bottled water brand labeled “spring water” actually came from a well in an industrial facility’s parking lot. While they reported that most bottled water was safe, about 30 percent of the bottled water they tested contained bacteria, synthetic organic chemicals and inorganic chemicals. In another recent study, Dutch researchers found 40 percent of the bottled mineral water they tested from 16 countries, (not including the U.S.) showed the presence of bacteria or fungi. Why should you care? First, people with a weakened immune system (children, the elderly, people with cancer, kidney failure, or AIDS,) may have an increased risk of infection from bacteria. Serious infections can develop fromlegionella, a bacteria causing Legionnaires disease, pneumonia like illness. Secondly, bottled water is expensive. A five-year supply of bottled water (8 glasses a day) costs about $1,000. The same amount of tap water costs $1.65. There are some regulations on bottled water. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) requires that if water is taken from a municipal source and not treated, the label must say it’s from a municipal source. If, the water is treated (using common technology) there is no requirement to label the municipal source. The NRDC concluded that bottled water “should not be assumed to be purer or safer than most tap water.” |
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Thinking Of Selling Your Home Soon?
Don’t attempt to sell your home without our Free Consumer Guide, “6 Steps For Selling Your Home For Top Dollar.” Our exclusive report will give you all the facts for a fast, top dollar sale. To request your copy, email us by clicking here. |
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What To Do If Someone Is Following You
The feeling that someone might be following you is terrifying. Though it’s not likely, what would you do if the feeling became reality? Being aware of your surroundings is the best way to tell if someone is actually following you. Whether you’re on foot or in a vehicle, here’s how to know if someone’s tailing you and then how to handle the situation: How to Tell
What to Do
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Here’s A Free, Valuable Resource…
Now You Can Search The Home Market, Get Helpful Community Information, AND Receive Important Resources For Saving Time And Money When Buying Or Selling At www.facebook.com/dirksrealestate |
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Fun Facts and Laughs
3 Ideas For Happier Holidays . . . The holidays can get stressful in a hurry. Try these simple methods for celebrating the season – and make it easier for you and your family.
Homemade Flu Fighter. . . If you’re trying to recover from the flu or a cold, doctors say to get plenty of fluids and electrolytes. Store-bought sports drinks contain processed sugar and artificial ingredients, though, so why not try making your own? This recipe is much healthier. In a blender, combine:
Websites for Medical Advice . . . These websites can help you do some research before a visit to your doctor. www.webmd.com – Find credible, timely information from an award-winning site: helpful medical and health information, online support communities, and expert commentary. www.mayoclinic.com – The non-profit, number-one-rated hospital has detailed information about healthy lifestyle, drugs and supplements, and tests and procedures. www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus – The National Institutes of Health provide health reliable information for patients and family in understandable language.
Featured Partner
 Looking for a trust worthy home inspector? Look no further than David Fairbairn. You can find him as a ‘Preferred Service Provider’ on our new Oakwyn App. Or contact him directly at: 604-395-2795 www.vancouverinspections.com
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Are You Our Client Of The Month?
Every month we choose a very special Client Of The Month. It’s our way of acknowledging good friends and saying “thanks” to those who support us and our business with referrals, word of mouth and repeat business. This month’s Client Of The Month are Jaclyn & Colin Bates. They were referred to us by friends and it has been truly a blessing helping them find their dream home. Congratulations! We’d like to give you a $50 gift card to The Keg as a show of our gratitude. You might be our next Client Of The Month too! Watch for your name here in an upcoming month. |
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Trivia Challenge for the Month…
“Who Else Wants To Win 2 FREE Movie Tickets?”
Guess who won last month’s Trivia Question? I’m pleased to announce that the lucky winners of last month’s quiz are…drum roll please: Kieren and Melissa were the first two people to correctly answer our quiz question. What famous skateboarder was the first person to perform a trick called the 900, which is 2.5 rotations in the air? a) Tony Alva b) Ryan Sheckler c) Shaun White d) Tony Hawk The answer is d) Tony Hawk – nicknamed The Birdman, he is one of the most successful pro skateboarders in history. He has even skated at the White House – with permission! Let’s move on to this month’s trivia question. What ancient city and UNESCO site is carved into a sandstone cliff? a) Ur
b) Petra c) Palmyra d) Carthage EMAIL US BY: Clicking Here OR Call / TEXT Us At 778-997-1890 And You Could Be One Of Our Next Winners! |
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Brain Teaser Answer:
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Thanks For Thinking of Us! Did you know we can help you or any of your friends or family save time and money when buying or selling a home? Thanks for keeping us in mind with your referrals…and spreading the word about our services. |
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Real Estate Q & A . . .
Q. What do I need to know about negotiating when I sell my home?
A. Revealing too much information to buyers when you’re negotiating the sale is a common, costly mistake. To get the most for your home:
You can learn about six more costly mistakes in our Free Consumer Report called “How To Avoid 7 Costly Mistakes When Selling Your Home.” Call us and we’ll send a copy right over to you. Do you have a real estate question you want answered? Feel free to call us at778-997-1890 or email us by clicking here. Perhaps we’ll feature it in our next issue! |
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| THANK YOU… for reading our Service For Life!® personal newsletter. We wanted to produce a newsletter that has great content and is fun and valuable to you. Help your friends get more out of life by forwarding this email to them.. |
Coquitlam Drone Roof Inspection Photos
This weekend we were able to launch the New Drone at a Townhouse complex in Coquitlam, BC.
This roof would be impossible to inspect using conventional methods such as ladders or binoculars, due to the slope of the property and height of the roof. However – using aerial photography we can see not only the roof, but inspect small details using high-resolution photography:
Flying the Drone at the height of the ridge line, we snapped a few detailed photos in the evening light. In the following photo we can see a broken grill on the flashing (circled).
The strata will be getting a roofer to repair this and the clients were thrilled to see part of the building that would normally be unknown!
Call Today to Get Your Home Inspected Right – 604 395-2795
Video: How to Pick the Right Home Inspector in Vancouver
Mark: Hi, it’s Mark Bossert from Top Local Lead Generation. We’re here with David Fairbairn. David is a building and home inspector here in Vancouver. How’re you doing today David?
David: I’m great Mark, how’re you doing?
Mark: Good, really good actually. So we’re getting down to the nitty gritty, how does one go about choosing the right home inspector in Vancouver?
David: Well Mark, there’s a couple things you’re going to want to do before you start picking home inspectors, you need to understand how the home inspection industry works in BC. In BC all home inspectors are required to be licensed so you’re probably not going to be able to find a home inspector who’s not licensed and if they don’t have a license you’re going to want to run away from them. It would be similar to going to a dentist who doesn’t have his license. This should be someone who’s a trained professional, obviously anyone who doesn’t have on, that’s the biggest thing but of course in BC all home inspectors are required to be licensed so when you’re choosing an inspector, they may tell you, well I’m licensed, well you know it kind of puts us all on similar ground. What you should do, there’s a couple ways you can find a home inspector, one is to speak to your real estate professional. In Vancouver, I don’t know if it’s common in other areas but in Vancouver the real estate agent will actually give you three names usually, three inspectors that they trust and then you can do your research on that, call them, find out what they offer and pick one of the three. So that’s probably the most common way to find it is to speak to your real estate agent or of course going on the web, Google or having a look around and seeing if there’s a website of an inspector that you trust and it’s someone who appears to offer a good selection of services at a good price. So those are usually the two ways is either the internet or through a real estate agent.
Mark: So I guess there’s some sort of association that you guys have?
David: Yes, basically in BC to get our license we have to be a member of an association and there’s a number of associations in Canada that you can belong to that satisfies that requirement to get a license, so you may hear inspectors talking about different associations; I like to think that it’s not really about which association you belong to, however, there are pros and cons of each one. I’m a member of the Canadian National Association of Certified Home Inspectors. There’s another one called Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors also known as CAHPI, there’s ASTTPBC so there’s actually quite a few and I guess the upshot there is if they really try to force one Association on you versus another I would probably steer clear of that because it doesn’t always guarantee that you’re going to get a quality inspector. You should be looking at the inspector on their merits alone and not their association.
Mark: What are the qualifications that I should be looking for?
David: You can take the course, you could go out right now and take some courses and become a certified home inspector but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have real world experience and I think this is one of the things people find is that the home inspector that they’re choosing does not have any prior contracting experience or any engineering experience. In some cases the person was maybe working in an office before and now they’re all of a sudden out and inspecting homes and while that’s well and good, I like to believe that the education is good enough to get you up to speed to do a proper quality job, however in some cases the person doesn’t have the background to identify problems that they may not have been exposed to in a classroom. Ideally if you can find a home inspector who has engineering or contracting experience prior to being a home inspector, for me that’s a huge thing. Of course I have, shameless plug, I have engineering experience and contracting experience as well prior to becoming a home inspector.
Mark: So if I could sum that up it, just because you watch building shows on TV don’t make you a contractor.
David: That’s correct, as much as I love HGTV it’s a lot of fun to watch, it may not actually be realistic in terms of what you’ll see in the real world and a lot of time there is actually a lot of bad information on those shows, I probably call it one error per show. So take it with a grain of salt, its entertainment, right?
Mark: Yes. So what’s the best way to find an inspector? You kind of outlined a couple of them, what else would be your advice in that regard?
David: Look for somebody, I always say take a look at two things which is the sample report so if you can get a copy of the home inspection report from your inspector and see what kind of product you’re going to get because you’ll get everywhere from a paper checklist that’s one page long with a bunch of x’s on checkboxes or the longest I’ve ever seen one was a 100 page report with 200 plus photos and descriptions of everything. So there’s everything in between but take a look at the report because this is the kind of report you’re going to be getting and if you don’t understand it or it doesn’t make sense to you, you’re probably going to want to hire a different home inspector because it’s going to be just as useful on the house you’re buying as it is with the sample report, so get a copy of the sample report and also find out, one of the things would be is how long the inspection takes. If you find an inspector who says he can do it in an hour, he can but he can’t do a good job in an hour. I’m not aware of any home inspector who can do a quality job in one hour. Most of our inspections take about three hours, sometimes four depending upon the square footage. We try to keep it around three and I find that’s a good split between doing a quality job and being efficient at the same time.
Mark: So we’ve been talking with Mr. David Fairbairn. He’s a home inspector in Vancouver. For a trusted, quality job, he’s the guy to call. You can reach him at 604-395-2795 or go to his website at fairbairninspections.com. Thanks David.
David: Thanks Mark, talk to you later.
Introducing the FLIR E8 Thermal Imager | Infrared Home Inspector
Fairbairn Inspection Services is excited to announce the newest tool in our fleet!
The FLIR E8 Thermal Camera:
This powerful imager helps us deliver stunning high-resolution thermal imaging as part of our Thermal Home Inspections – with a level of detail unattainable with cheaper cameras.
The picture in picture mode helps put the image in context.
Electrical panel scans can identify dangerous overheating. (The panel above is operating properly under load.)
During the first test run, the camera helped identify two water leaks in the same house. Water shows up as a dark patch on ceilings, walls and floors.
All Thermal Inspections include a ZIP file package of all infrared photo files from the home.