The Buyer's Home Discovery Report
Know what you're buying before you commit to it.
You've found a home you like. Maybe you've already walked through it, or maybe you're booked in for this weekend. Either way, this is the moment when excitement starts doing the thinking, and it's exactly the moment to slow down and ask better questions.
That's what a Buyer's Home Discovery Report is for.
What It Is
A Buyer's Home Discovery Report is a preliminary report on one specific home. We gather what's publicly available about the property, its age, its type and its area, and put it together with what you saw on your visit. Then we lay it out in plain language: what's likely in the home based on when and how it was built, what the listing claims that the seller should be able to back up, and which questions you should be asking before you make an offer.
It doesn't replace anyone. It helps you know what to ask everyone. Where something deserves a closer look, the report tells you so, and tells you which kind of licensed professional to have inspect further.
The Best Time to Get One
The sweet spot is before your first visit or shortly after it, when your interest is getting serious but you haven't committed to anything yet. Get it early and you walk into the showing knowing what to look for. Get it right after and you walk into your offer knowing what to ask.
If you've already made an offer with conditions, it can still help. Just let us know your deadline when you request it.
What You'll Get
The home in context. What its age, construction and location tell us about what's likely behind the walls, under the floors and over your head.
Claims to clarify. Listing phrases like "newer roof," "updated electrical" or "mortgage helper" turned into the specific questions and paperwork to ask the seller for.
Questions to bring to your next visit, so you can check things for yourself.
Who to call. For anything that needs a closer look, the type of licensed professional to inspect further.
First-time buyer notes if this is your first home, covering the things nobody tells you until after you've moved in.
For strata homes: what to look for in the depreciation report, the strata minutes and the other documents, and which questions to ask about the building's finances and upcoming repairs.
Introductory price: $64 per report. We reply by email within one business day and email your report within two business days of your request.
Why It Works
Most buyers walk into a home believing nothing is wrong and nothing is about to go wrong. Every home has a story, though, and the seller knows more of it than you do. This report helps even that out. It puts the onus back on the seller to explain what they've claimed or implied, so you make your decision on facts instead of on fresh paint and good staging.
It's built on more than 30 years of looking at homes. Rob Hakesley, the host of The Home Discovery Show, is a retired Red Seal carpenter, firefighter, fire inspector and fire investigator who has been helping buyers understand homes since 1993.
Start With the Free Checklist
Before you visit, download the checklist that matches the home you're looking at. Complete and save a copy on your phone, or print it and tick things off as you walk through. After submitting your request, reply to our email and attach your completed checklist, photos and any documents. Every box you fill in makes your report more complete.
Condo/Apartment Strata Checklist — Free fillable PDF
Townhouse Strata Checklist — Free fillable PDF
Detached House Checklist — Free fillable PDF
Each one-page checklist helps you ask about component ages, service history and available records, with space for a few notes. The strata checklists also remind you which records to request. Leave unknowns blank; no inspection or technical knowledge is needed.
Tell us about the home and we'll take it from there.
Request Your Buyer's Home Discovery Report
Tell us about the home you're interested in. It takes about two minutes. The introductory price is $64 per report. We'll reply by email within one business day and email your report within two business days of your request. Serving Metro Vancouver and southern BC.
Good to Know: Report Disclaimer
A Buyer's Home Discovery Report is an information service. We gather what's publicly available about a home, its age, its type and its area, and combine it with what you share with us. We don't visit the property, and we don't see or assess its actual condition.
It is not a home inspection and shouldn't be relied on to replace an onsite home inspection or an assessment by a qualified tradesperson or other licensed professional. Public information can be incomplete or out of date, so we can't guarantee it's accurate or that a home is free of problems. The report isn't legal, financial or real estate advice, and it's prepared only for the person who requests it. Your decisions about the home are yours to make. Read our full disclaimer.
Got a question first? Email info@thehomediscoveryshow.ca, or listen to the Buyer's Manual episodes of The Home Discovery Show.
Open the door. Look around. Ask questions. Be empowered.