I spend a lot of time listening to and talking with people about houses.  Houses they want to sell.  Houses they want to buy.  Houses they're trying to maintain.  One of the common denominators in all of those conversations is  "what needs fixing and when".  My recommendation to many of these people is to have a home inspection done by a skilled, creditable building inspector.  Here's why.

The Sellers' Market of a few years back is long gone.  There is lots of competition out there on the market now and homes that have been well maintained are the ones that sell sooner for a better price.  Lending rules are stricter now; buyers are being very careful about how they spend the money they work hard to secure.  Many buyers have neither the time, extra money nor skills to do repairs.

Sellers should know that buyers will have a building inspection done when they offer to buy a home.  Why not have a pre-inspection done to ensure there aren't any surprises?  Any issues that need to be dealt with can be taken care of before the house hits the market.  You can price your home with confidence and negotiate with that knowledge.

Buyers should do a building inspection of any property they plan to buy to ensure there aren't any hidden problems that could be expensive and damaging down the road.  Attending the inspection will give you a good introduction to how your home "works" and outline any maintenance items to keep an eye on in the future.  Photos you can keep on file along with the inspection report information will act as a benchmark for your new purchase to refer back to in years to come.

On-going maintenance of one of your biggest investments is a very smart move.  Even if you have no plans to sell, why not call in an inspector to help you develop a plan for what you need to do to keep your property in top shape.  There may be some issues that you can't see now but that your inspector can catch that need to be dealt with sooner than later to avoid more costly repairs in the future. 

When you choose an inspector, make sure that inspector is registered with the Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors.  See www.cahpi.bc.ca for more information.  That way you're assured of a level of expertise, ethics and accountability.  

Talk to your realtor and see who they recommend.  I work with a wide range of clients and can tell you who my clients have used and how well it's worked out for them.