Will an Ottawa inspector open walls or move furniture?

A home inspection is a visual, non-invasive examination, so opening walls is outside it. Whether an inspector will move furniture or stored belongings is a question to ask before the day.

The federal Office of Consumer Affairs puts it plainly: "A home inspection report will be limited to describing conditions in the areas of the home that the inspector can see or has access to." Ontario.ca describes the inspection as "a visual inspection of major elements and systems." Neither source lists any destructive or invasive step as part of a standard inspection.

What this means in practice is that a finished basement wall, a crawl space blocked by storage, or a furnace room packed with boxes may simply go unexamined, or be noted in the report as inaccessible. The Office of Consumer Affairs advises making sure the seller or agent makes all areas accessible before the inspection day.

Ontario.ca also notes that an inspector may not be able to inspect a roof covered with snow, which is another example of the same principle: access and visibility set the boundary of what the report can say. The inspection is not a pass or fail test, and it does not come with a warranty on the home's condition.

A few things worth keeping in mind before the day:

• Ask the seller or listing agent to clear access to the attic hatch, electrical panel, furnace, water heater and crawl space.
• Ask the inspector for a sample report so you can see how inaccessible areas are recorded.
• Ontario.ca says buyers should be present during the inspection, which gives you a chance to see firsthand what the inspector could and could not reach.

If there is a specific area you are concerned about, such as a wall where you suspect water damage or a room that is heavily furnished, raise it with the inspector before they start.

The most useful thing to do right now is contact the listing agent and ask that every hatch, panel and storage area be cleared and unlocked before the inspection date.