This blog is deals with EKAN Home Inspection experiences with renovated properties in both West Vancouver and North Vancouver. You can learn from our experience.
Every home is defined by its age of construction… its colours, the fixtures, the build techniques and of course the codes of the day. The Dundarave and Ambleside neighbourhoods of West Vancouver have some of the highest concentration of old house inventory in the district. As a result, there is a wide range of how particular owners have approached the renovation to their homes.
An unrenovated house is true to its age with authentic features and we can typically know what to expect. Just about everything about the house is likely original. The condition depends, on the most part, if the homeowner kept up with the needed repairs.
A partially renovated home needs a sensitive approach to blend with the original. A poorly executed partial reno will have every new feature standing out because it’s appearance is disjointed from the rest of the house. For example, new light fixtures in brushed chrome in the bathroom when every doorknob and doorhinge is still in brass, comes to mind.
A fully renovated home raises my tingly senses and I ask myself the question, is this just lipstick or was it upgraded from the bones up. For example, I have viewed magnificent estate properties that were upgraded everywhere except for the crawlspace which revealed moisture ingress and severe beam and joist rot.
If you must upgrade, then focus on the mechanical and structural elements first, such as a new hot water tank, upgraded heating system, higher insulation levels or improving the surface drainage away from the basement or crawlspace… then do the cosmetics.
Homes that have a complete file on display of all the work completed on the property, with photos and receipts, along with a pre-listing home inspection are rare but certainly special. When this information is well presented and on the kitchen table during an open house, along with a professional agent who appreciates and can communicate its value, then there is an immediate ‘wow factor’, that not only makes it unique to the market but also differentiates it from the majority of the competition. This is rare but when you find it, it’s certainly worth thinking about the property seriously.