home inspections
Asbestos and the Cost of Selling Your Home
Captain John’s was a landmark on Toronto’s waterfront, sitting at the base of Yonge Street – albeit a slightly cheesy one that many locals avoided. The old ship acted as a seafood restaurant for years before the city shut it down three years ago and the owner moved south. Nowadays, it’s looking for a buyer…
Read MoreHome Inspection Standards & Asbestos
The province of Ontario is looking to follow the example of Alberta and British Columbia in creating a universal set of standards for home inspectors to follow. As pointed out in a recent column by Mike Holmes, the current non-system results in a situation where home buyers may not really know what it is they’re getting even after they’ve paid for a home inspection. Unfortunately, it can result in house buyers who get an unpleasant surprise when it comes to the presence of asbestos in their homes.
Read MoreAsbestos in Luxury Properties
Much of the time, when a news story concerns asbestos found in a building, it’s dealing with an industrial or government property or an apartment complex. When we see luxury properties, we’re shown how fabulous the rooms and décor look after a renovation. It’s not often we get a glimpse into the ‘before’ side of the picture when it comes to the haunts of the rich and famous.
Read MoreAsbestos Can Add to the Real Cost of Resale Property
A land deal in Western Ontario looks like an incredible bargain until you understand the details. A Windsor area man recently got what sounds like the deal of a lifetime – 240 acres of prime farmland in southwestern Ontario for a mere $150,000. But of course, there’s a catch, and it comes in the form of what he’s going to have to do before he can get it ready for redevelopment.
Read MoreManaging Asbestos
During the summer, many school boards take the opportunity of the downtime to do much needed renovations, and these days, that will most often include asbestos removal.
Read MoreAsbestos and Textured Paints
A recent multi-million dollar award granted to a long time interior painter by trade – and mesothelioma patient – highlights the dangers that may lurk on your walls and ceilings.
Read MoreCourt Proceedings Remind of Lingering Asbestos Threat
The court proceedings into the infamous Sunrise Propane explosion of 2008 in north Toronto continues to wind its way through the system. Its current phase involves the issue of responsibility; officials are blaming a procedure that they say the Environment Ministry had informed the company to stop – i.e. truck to truck transfer of the propane, which they see as the cause of the accident which left one dead and a Toronto neighbourhood showered with asbestos.
Read MoreAsbestos Alarms in Regina – the Truth About Asbestos in Water & Asbestos/Cement
City officials in Regina are in the hot seat as they try to quell fears of unsafe drinking water. At issue is the fact that the city’s pipes contain asbestos. The City’s position is that the asbestos is bound on a cement mixture, and therefore not unsafe.
Read MoreFederal Government Not Keeping Track of Asbestos Removal Projects
In a recent news story, federal government officials admitted that its agencies are not keeping track of asbestos removal projects even though it owns some 318 affected buildings across the country.
Read MoreAdd an Asbestos Inspection to Your Spring Home Buying Checklist
Spring is in the air and many people have home buying on their minds. The Canadian Real Estate Association and BMO have come up with a statement of recommendations, and both advise spring homebuyers that property inspections should go way beyond the typical parameters of the standard inspection included in most property sales.
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