Pine Cone

Right, then. As promised I've started a new house related discussion.

Tell me everything that is wrong with Canadian houses and all the 'orrible stuff those real estate photos online are not showing me.

Why are Canadian houses better or worse that British houses (modern ones in particular)?

What are the pitfall and scams to look out for when buying a house in the GTA?

What things will put you into debt to put right, if you are unaware at the time of purchase?

What negative things should one be looking out for in a potential neighbourhood that will negatively impact house value, but not be obvious from a drive around the area?

Of course, you can also tell me how wonderful your home is too if you feel so inclined.

GO.....

dbd33

I suppose the pitfall and scam is that the estate agent will pose as someone acting for you when his or her interests are the opposite of yours. Be careful.

Pine Cone

Is that common then?

not2old

if anyone responds to this, you likely will get as wide a response, which means zip to you until you get here & do it hands on through the buying process. Since you asked ... here goes.

I don't know anything about UK house construction

partly covered in post 2

https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/buho/hostst/

http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/odpub/pdf/66687.pdf


Issues missed by the house inspector prior to you closing the sale or something that can crop up at anytime or later on

- Roof repair/replacement $5k - $10k

- Basic furnace/AC repair (dead of winter is the worse time) because you don't have a service contract. Starts at $100 for a visit then $100/hr + parts. Expect a bill not less than $300

- Furnace or AC unit replacement $5K - $10k

- Appliances or replacing ones $2k - $4k

- Sewer issues or cracks in basement floor repairs $5k & upwards

- Foundation problems, cracks or tree roots that crack the foundation. A total re-dig & drainage system replacement around the place $10k - $30k

- Shoddy electrical & plumbing repair or replacement $5k - $30k

When you see an area, even before consider buying in it - do the early AM, midday & night time visit

- No vehicles on the street

- Wrecked vehicles on the streets

- Properties or the grounds [even one or two] in disrepair

- Like minded make up of ethnic groups in the area 'are you the only one of your kind moving in' or is the area mixed, balanced all cultures, or do you want everyone that looks & speaks the same as you?

- Price of properties that look exactly the same are off by $50k to $100k with a few short blocks

We live in a 1983 built property. its a detached all brick 2 storey, 3 bedroom with a fully finished basement (self contained apartment/granny flat) that is a 2-bedroom + kitchen. We are in a multicultural neighbourhood. Non English speaking family on each side of us.

Zero issues with the property or neighbourhood.

All the foundation, fences around the property, the landscaping, driveway paving is as it was when we bought it over 10 years ago.

Roof has been replaced once 5 years ago at a cost of $4k [/QUOTE]

Pine Cone

Is it common to have a granny flat? We've seen a few online. I was wondering if there were any tax implications or allowances from renting one out, and a ball park figure to how much $ this might generate? Does this affect your house insurance premium considerably and do granny-flats get rented out with all the utilities included or do you have separate meters for them?

not2old

Real estate agent = used car salesperson, even though the agent will always act as your best friend & will tell you how wonderful they & the broker agency company they represent are as ethical & abiding to standards that protects both the buyer & seller interest.

Sell that damn property for as low as possible to whomever will, buy it so that they can get the commission with the least amount of effort of putting any money from their own pocket into advertising or whatever it is.

The agent IMO does zip for the seller or the buyer for the pay commission they get. Value for money is not there.

There is a Brit real estate agent on the Canadian thread that will likely come to this thread

dbd33

A new car salesperson I was negotiating with switched tack by asking if I wanted a house. He said that if he acted for me in a house purchase, he'd discount the car. I thought it should be the other way around.

not2old

in the GTA approx 25% with be with granny flats (utilities usually included), for the reason owners want extra income to pay the property or mortgage expenses. Or it could be family lives with them.

I would say better than 50% have finished basements, some with or without kitchens that are for self use.

On Insurance, the owners generally wont tell the insurance company & if they do the premium can be classed for insurance as a multi-family dwelling which can also increase the property taxes.

No, the tenant does not pay property tax, even if they rented a whole house or apartment. I made sure my tenants had contents insurance.

Should a property be a 'Duplex' (or Triplex) - these will be two separate apartments within the same building that will have two separate utility meters for gas & electric

Novocastrian

The Canadian ones are in Canada which is convenient if you live there.

The British ones on the other hand....

Pine Cone

Is private sale common or even legal in Canada? We used an estate agent in the UK for our first 2 house sales (after negotiating their % cut from 2.25% down to 1% plus VAT). Even then we felt we could have done the job ourselves for less, so since then we've always done private sales and only needed a lawyer to do the legal bit which was a few $100 plus the various property transfer type fees etc.

BristolUK

We flew to Moncton for our house hunt, arriving Thursday afternoon, leaving Monday afternoon.

Our realtor blocked off that whole period to spend it exclusively with us. We had a list of places to see that we had updated, added to, subtracted from over the months leading to our visit.

He picked us up from the hotel on the Thursday, drove us around to look at the houses. On the Friday we noticed a newly listed place across the road from one we were looking at and he arranged a viewing that day. That was the one we bought.

Friday evening was spent agreeing the purchase.

When we returned for the actual move we were early. He took us to breakfast, then we completed the legalities after which he drove us to the furniture store, negotiated a discount on the cost of what we bought and then drove us to our new home.

He did much the same when I went looking at duplexes.

Value for money for me.

HGerchikov

You need to check the zoning by-laws before you rent out an auxiliary apartment, some places allow it and others do not. Not to say it isn't done in the areas where its not permitted, but if something were to go wrong you could be in a great deal of trouble.

The other thing to be very aware of is that once your offer has been accepted and any conditions removed then the deal is firm, at the exchange of contract stage in the UK. You can't just back out like you can in England.

Corner lots are not considered premium here, main reasons seem to be that many of them lack privacy, and there is twice as much sidewalk to shovel in the winter.

Yes it is quite legal to buy and sell privately.

JonboyE

You will fit in well here.

colchar

Mistaken post - ignore.

MarylandNed

Treat your realtor like your enemy and don't be lulled into thinking they are looking out for your best interests. Take everything they say with a pinch of salt. Make the offer you want to make and don't let them sway you on price or conditions like a home inspection. Find your own independent home inspector - don't use one recommended by the realtor.

Houses new and old can have major issues which is why it's really important to find a reputable home inspector. Don't skip the home inspection based on the age of the house. It might even be worth bringing in an electrician or plumber to give a more detailed evaluation of those systems - especially with older construction.