Older Home Inspection

Older homes offer potential advantages and disadvantages. They are valued for their charm, established landscaping and neighbourhoods. However, an older home may have suffered ill-conceived renovations or no longer meet safety standards. Generally speaking, the older the home, the greater the number of items on the inspectors checklist requiring attention. The DoubleCheck visual inspection will identify deficiencies in a complete and easily understood report. This can be used to evaluate the cost of needed repairs or changes and as evidence in price negotiations.

Example of possible deficiencies that will require attention either by the seller or by you after purchase:

• Ground fault circuit interrupters. These have been mandatory since 1985. If the property predates this, you should upgrade all bathroom and exterior outlets. (This safety item can be resolved at reasonable cost.)
• Aluminum wiring. If the home was built between the late 1960s and early 1970s it may contain aluminum wiring. This is an insurance issue and should be checked by a licensed electrical contractor and repaired as required. Retain the original letter of repair from the contractor for proof of repairs.
• Plastic dryer exhaust ducting. This is no longer considered safe and should be replaced with metal ducting.

Tip: When buying a resale property, you should change the locks for all the external doors including the door to the garage from your home and also the car/door key or combination to the garage door opener.

For general guidelines on the inspection process, please see our FAQs section.

Inspect first! To book a DCI inspection online click here; email us at info@doublecheckinspections.ca,
or call 1-613-322-3682.

Central Mortgage and Housing Canada (CMHC) www.cmhc.ca has a wealth of information on home ownership, some of which is noted below. CMHC is located at 800 Montreal Road in Ottawa. You may wish to e-mail or contact them by: telephone at 1-800-688-2642, or by fax at 1-800-245-9274

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) also has useful information, some of which is listed following.

• Dwellings: Energy Conservation
• Consumers Guide to Buying Energy-Efficient Windows and Doors
• Dwellings: Insulation
• Insulation: Heat
• Keeping The Heat In