Separating the finished house from the finished listing
In this band the photographs are professional and the staging is complete, so look past both. Ask the age and permit history of the finished basement, because a Brooklin walk-out finished by a contractor in 2015 is a different asset from one an owner drywalled over a weekend. In Rolling Acres and Williamsburg, count how many of the original systems remain: windows, shingles, furnace, air conditioner and the water heater rental, since a house from 1996 with all five replaced justifies more than one with none. Downtown Victorians warrant a look at any remaining knob-and-tube wiring, the foundation and any heritage designation that limits exterior changes. On West Whitby resales, check how much Tarion coverage remains and whether the seller is assigning an unfinished builder agreement. Rural houses bring the well and septic inspections and CLOCA mapping. Finally, ask what nearby houses of the same model sold for recently; signed-in members can view that history on the site.