By Carson Dunlop & Associates
The hardest house to date is a link home. They appear to be single, but if you do some digging they’re actually attached.
As home inspectors, we have some tricks for figuring out the age of a house. In newer subdivisions we pick up dates from manhole covers, sidewalks, and curbs. This will give you an idea of when the subdivision was built. This obviously doesn’t work in older neighborhoods
Thermal pane windows usually have a metal strip which separates the two panes of glass. On that metal strip you will often find the manufacturer’s name, a CMHC number, and the date of manufacture. Again, this information must be used carefully. It will tell you the age of the window but not necessarily the age of the house. Check several windows. If they are all the same, you have just figured out how old the house is or the date when all of the windows were upgraded.
On houses built within the last 20 – 25 years, you will often find a sticker on the outside of the electrical panel indicating the possession date of the house. The Ontario New Home Warranty Program (in its earlier days know as HUDAC) placed these stickers on the electrical panel so that the warranty period could easily be established.
If you can be sure that the furnace or the water heater is original, the gas inspection sticker on either of these appliances is a good indication of the age of the house.
Porcelain plumbing fixtures usually have a manufacture date stamped into them. The easiest place to pick up a date is off a toilet (no jokes). If you remove the lid from the tank, the date will often be stamped on the underside of the lid and also inside the tank near the water line. The date is usually on the right hand side of the rear portion of the tank when you are facing the toilet. The date inside the tank is more reliable than the date on the lid because sometimes lids get broken and replaced. Again, you must look for other clues to convince yourself that the toilet is an original one. Otherwise, you have only established the date when the bathroom was renovated.
Certain building materials can be clues about the age of a house. These clues can vary dramatically by region. For example, in Toronto, virtually all houses with stone foundation walls were built before 1930. If you go to Kingston, Ontario, however, and ask when they stopped using stone foundation walls, the response might be “You mean they stopped using stone foundation walls?”.
In Toronto, brick foundation walls were also popular until about 1935. In other parts of the province, you will find no brick foundation walls at all. With the exception of custom built houses, most houses built with concrete block foundations are pre 1970. Most subdivision houses built in the 70’s or newer have poured concrete foundations.
Most brick houses in Ontario were solid masonry construction (two wythes of brick) up until the late 1960’s. Most brick houses built after 1970 were brick veneer construction (one wythe of brick with a wood stud wall behind).
If you stand in an unfinished basement and look up at the subflooring, you will find that most houses before 1965 used plank subflooring. After 1965, most houses had plywood subflooring, until the early 1980’s, when waferboard subflooring became popular (with the builders at least).
Aluminum wiring began to be used residentially in about 1965, however, it did not really catch on until about 1970. When was it banned? It was never banned, however, it received so much bad press, that aluminum wiring stopped going into houses in about 1978. To this day, aluminum wiring is still used to bring power into the house from the street!
As you are probably aware, knob and tube electrical wiring makes insurance companies very nervous. Knob and tube wiring was superseded by conventional modern wiring in the late 1940’s. Even though wiring looked modern through the 1950’s, it was not until 1960 that modern wiring contained a ground wire. Therefore, houses built before 1960 have two prong outlets as opposed to modern electrical outlets which are designed for three prong plugs.
Before 1950, supply plumbing was galvanized steel. Houses with galvanized steel supply plumbing also tended to have cast iron waste plumbing.
In about 1955, waste plumbing was more likely to be copper than cast iron. In the late 1960’s, the price of copper went through the roof. Waste plumbing very quickly became plastic. (It was this jump in the price of copper that also lead to the use of aluminum wiring.)
Old houses have plaster on the walls and ceilings whereas new houses are built with drywall. When did the change occur? While there was no magic day when plasterers quit and drywallers began, most houses built before 1960 were plaster and most houses after were drywall.
Dating houses can be helpful for a number of reasons; for example, the type of furnaces installed 20-25 years ago have a life expectancy of 20-25 years. Therefore, most houses built in the early 1970’s have a new furnace or will need one shortly. Most houses built in the early 1980’s were built with asphalt shingle roofs that lasted up to 15 years. Again, most of these houses either have a new roof covering or need one. The good news about a 1982 house in need of new shingles is that it couldn’t possibly contain Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation. It was banned in December of 1980!!
Carson & Dunlop Associates is a consulting engineering firm which has been devoted exclusively to building inspections since 1978. Their website is located www.carsondunlop.com and they can be reached at (416) 964-9415.
The Toronto Real Estate Board released the mid June 2009 statistics for the Greater Toronto Area. The number of sales to date was 5,185 in the first half of the month compared to 4,374 in mid-June of 2008. The average price for the GTA was $398,542 mid-May of last year compared to $407,716 this year.
Choosing the Right Salesperson to Market your Home
June 29, 2009 · Leave a Comment
By Erin Fritz
When it comes time to sell your house, your very first hurdle is to find the perfect real estate salesperson. However, with 1000’s of salespeople in Toronto alone, choosing just one becomes very difficult. As everyone knows, good marketing is the key to a successful business or product. It is very important to remember that putting a “for sale” sign on the front lawn does not sell a house alone. A home needs to be marketed, just like any other product and it is important to choose an agent who is passionate about exposing your home.
There are some key things that you, the consumer should look for when you interview agents to list your house. The first thing is picking someone who you trust to sell your home. A good agent should prepare a listing package, personalized with information about your home, your neighborhood and their company. A listing package is important because not only does it show that an agent has done their homework, but that they are interested in gaining your business.
The second thing you should ask to see prior to choosing an agent is copies of old feature sheets. You want to ensure that an agent has experience with home marketing, and by seeing older feature sheets, you can get an idea of what to expect when they market your property. It is a good sign if you see a variety of property types and a variety of different feature sheets, as it shows the range of the agent’s experience and knowledge of property.
Third, it is very important to ask questions. What is this agent going to do for you? What is this agent going to do to sell your home for the maximum amount? What suggestions does the agent offer you? Is the agent willing to spend money to help you market your property? You should choose an agent that has a good website, with up to date information and listings. The internet is becoming the number one source of information, and many first time buyers are taking to the web to find listings.
A good agent will advertise your property and open houses on their own website, on MLS, Realtor.com, and even on a site such as craigslist. Do not be afraid to ask which website your home will be featured on. Some agents may even suggest buying a domain name for your property. This is a great idea because you can direct family, friends and potential buyers to a website that is advertising your home alone. Another place where agents can market your home is in newspapers and realtor magazines. It is important to ask whether your property will be featured in print media and if so where it can be found. If you live in Richmond Hill, it’s a good idea to place an ad in a local newspaper to encourage local residents to see your property. Another way agents can market your property is by mailing out a “Just Listed” card to the homes in your area. This small post card can be a very effective way of reaching potential buyers, by providing them with some information on your home.
Lastly, does the agent have any tips to make your home more appealing to the consumer? A good agent should suggest you de-clutter and de-personalize your home. Don’t forget, you want people to see a home they want to live in, not the home you do. Some agents may suggest using a home stager. Although this too can be very effective, it’s not always necessary. Make sure if an agent is suggesting this, they have a competent stager they work with frequently. Remember there are never any stupid questions and you are entitled to straightforward answers. Just be upfront and you will be able to choose an agent that best suites you and your home sale.
Erin Fritz is a marketing consultant and a regular contributor to the Muddy York Real Estate Blog.
Categories: Commentary
Tagged: Central Toronto Real Estate, Real Estate, Toronto Real Estate Market