Home inspector in Toronto

Homes in Toronto

Toronto has the oldest housing stock in the GTA: semis and row houses from the early 1900s, post-war bungalows, and thousands of condos built since the 2000s. Many older homes have been renovated or flipped, sometimes more than once, so what you see on the surface doesn't always tell the full story.

What I often look at here

• Old wiring: knob-and-tube in pre-1950 homes, older 60-amp services and ungrounded outlets. Insurers often ask about them.
• Plumbing from the era: galvanized steel supply lines, cast-iron drains and, in some older homes, a lead water service from the street.
• Basement moisture: brick and stone foundations, underpinned or lowered basements, and the drainage around them.
• Renovations and flips: removed walls, new finishes over old problems, and how additions tie into the original house. As a framer, this is where I spend extra time.
• Condos: unit systems, Kitec plumbing in some 2000s buildings, windows and balcony doors.