The inspection condition: how many days, and what can you do with it?

In short

The inspection condition is the clause of the offer to purchase that lets you have the house inspected and, depending on the result, renegotiate or walk away without penalty. In Quebec the usual window is 7 to 10 days after acceptance, sometimes less in a hot market. That window must hold the inspection, reading the report, follow-up checks and, if needed, quotes. It is extended only if the seller agrees in writing.

How it works

The OACIQ offer-to-purchase form provides that the buyer may have the property inspected by a professional of their choice within the agreed period. If the report reveals a factor that significantly reduces the value or makes the buyer unable to buy on those terms, the buyer may notify the seller in writing: the offer then becomes null, or the parties negotiate.

The notice must state reasons and include a copy of the report. You do not withdraw “because the report is long”: you must point to specific items. That is where an orderly reading of the report matters.

What the window must hold

The inspection itself (half a day), delivery of the report (often 24 to 48 hours), reading it, then the checks the report recommends: plumber for Poly-B, electrician for the panel, camera in the drain, pyrite test. Each takes days to obtain.

If the checks cannot be done in time, ask the seller for a written extension, negotiate on the basis of a documented unknown, or withdraw. Letting the deadline pass without notice amounts to acceptance.

Orders of magnitude

A pre-purchase inspection of a single-family home most often runs a few hundred dollars; follow-up checks (plumber, electrician, camera, laboratory) add on, each in the hundreds. Orders of magnitude to confirm with the professionals.

What to do before buying

Book the inspector before the offer is even accepted, so as not to lose three days.
Read the report the same day and list the recommended checks, with whom to call.
Ask for a written extension as soon as a check will not fit in the window.
Word the notice to the seller with specific items from the report, not a general impression.

What Clarity does with it

Clarity sorts the report into three lists, says which checks to do before the deadline and prepares the negotiation strategy, so the window serves to decide rather than to read.

Does your report mention this? Clarity tells you in five minutes what is priority, what to have checked and what to ask the seller.

Analyze my report

Frequently asked questions

Can you withdraw for any reason?

No. The form requires a factor that significantly reduces the value or prevents the purchase on the agreed terms, with a written, reasoned notice and a copy of the report. An abusive withdrawal can be challenged.

What happens if the deadline passes without notice?

The condition is deemed fulfilled and the offer continues as if the inspection were satisfactory.

Can the seller refuse an extension?

Yes. They are not obliged to grant one. Hence the importance of starting the checks without delay.

Sources