Amateur Home Inspection

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March 24, 2010

I’m no expert, but I’d say that there are a few ‘minor’ issues with this house.

If it wasn’t the large pool of water on the bathroom floor, then it might have been the constant “drip, drip, drip” coming from the ceiling.

I guess the heavy rain that day was a blessing in disguise… 

Go ahead!

Don’t be afraid to dig finger-holes in the drywall of that leaky bathroom if it means you can avoid making a $300,000 mistake!

I’m constantly amazed by the amount of do-it-yourself renovations that end poorly.

Home Depot and other similar stores have made their fortunes by convincing people to tackle renovations on their own, whether they are qualified or not.

Sure, they give the odd seminar on how to install kitchen backsplash, but I’m not sure how the “Do It Yourself Skylight” session went…

It’s easy.

Just cut a hole in the roof of your house.

Then find a skylight that (hopefully) fits the size of the hole you dug with the back of a hammer and your buddy’s man-hands.

Then nail the plastic bubble into place.

Then use some Mono Foam or Crazy Glue and/or mud to seal around the edges.

And voila!

You’ve got a skylight in the bathroom!  Bravo!

Now, you just hope that it doesn’t rain from the very day you list your house for sale to the day the deal closes…

Written By David Fleming

David Fleming is the author of Toronto Realty Blog, founded in 2007. He combined his passion for writing and real estate to create a space for honest information and two-way communication in a complex and dynamic market. David is a licensed Broker and the Broker of Record for Bosley – Toronto Realty Group

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6 Comments

  1. calico cate

    at 8:35 am

    Skylights are the devil!

  2. earth mother

    at 7:13 pm

    Water leaking anywhere in a house is an issue!! whether it’s a damp basement, leaky faucets and taps, sweating or leaking pipes, runny toilets, leaks from windows, doors or skylights!! and of course, basement flooding (or covered-up flood-damage!!) — not to mention outdoor drainage problems…. yikes! water is the devil!!

  3. JG

    at 7:26 am

    Question:

    Whats the recourse for the clients that buy the property on a bight sunny day, only to realize two days after possession they have a monsoon coming into the bathroom (or wherever in the house?)

  4. David Fleming

    at 12:57 pm

    @ JG

    That’s why you submit an offer conditional on satisfactory home inspection by a qualified professional. I use Ken Haller exclusively as he has probably performed 50 home inspections for my clients. We’ve caught a few major issues over the years – a few resulted in abatements and only one saw the deal fall through.

  5. Solange

    at 12:24 pm

    Even though I have seen Mike Holmes do excellent work installing skylights, I believe they are ideal for more temperate climates than we endure in Canada. Our houses (like our roads) endure much abuse with the violent temperature swings. Products must be strong and yet flexible and even the tiniest amount of water can do enormous damage with the expansion and contraction of thawing and refreezing. When my husband and I look at homes and we see a skylight, it scores a negative point for us.

  6. pierre

    at 8:57 pm

    well, that’s a pleasant way to tell about it. nice insights, works great in clientele explanation regarding the matter and nice resource option for future endeavor.
    home inspections toronto

Pick5 is a weekly series comparing and analyzing five residential properties based on price, style, location, and neighbourhood.

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