Hopefully by now you are convinced that getting a home inspection done before you buy that new home, Ontario resident or elsewhere, is a good idea. We've talked about the possible future costs of not getting a home inspection done, and we have also discussed the headaches that unknown damage in your home can cause. Both are good reasons to have a London home inspection done.

But, we have also mentioned that home inspections can be a valuable tool when it comes to negotiating a price on the home you are thinking about buying. In order to truly bring that tool to bear, though, you need to have some specifics as to how an inspection can help you. You know that you will have to repair damaged valves on the sprinkler system, but just suggesting that to the listing agent isn't going to help you can some money knocked off of the price.

What you need are cold, hard facts in the shape of cold, hard cash. Just how much are the needed repairs turned up in your home inspection going to cost? The specifics will depend on the home and the damage, of course, but here is some information and a few facts to get you started.

Roof

Generally, roofs need to be replaced once every twenty years. You may need to do this more often in locations with severe weather, but that timeline works as a pretty good basis. The first thing you are going to want to check out when your home inspection report comes in is just how old the roof really is.

Apparent damage or not, a roof that is over 15 years old is going to need repairs sooner rather than later. Figure on the cost of replacing a roof to be around $10,000 if you use the services of a professional roofing company.

Of course, if the roof only has minor damage, the costs will be much less. Figure on using a handyman to replace a few broken shingles to cost around $200 per 10 X10 square feet.

Sewer

One of the biggest areas of concern in your home inspection will be the sewer and the sewer hookup. Have this looked at very carefully. A septic field can mean you'll have to use the services of a combination of plumbers, electricians, and vacuum truck operators whenever a problem occurs. All of these individuals charge upwards of $70 an hour, at least, plus parts.

If you need to use specific industrial water treatment chemicals for the system, the costs will be even higher. A really damaged system may end up costing an additional $10,000.

The point of understanding all these costs, and getting estimates done, is to provide information during negotiations. A home owner is not going to care if you want to buy contemporary bathroom vanities, as those are just cosmetic changes. However, changes to the systems and hardware of a house are a big deal. You can knock some money off the price of the house by pointing out you will need to foot the bill for any changes in these areas, and how much you expect that work to cost.