Buying an older Edmonton home: what should I check?
Start with the home's repair history, the records available and the parts an inspector can actually examine. You can ask detailed questions before making an offer or paying for an inspection. Use the answers to plan independent checks and a repair budget. Fresh paint and a finished basement do not tell you what is behind the walls.
Alberta: hiring a home inspector
Can I ask detailed questions before making an offer?
Yes. Send a short written list to the seller or the person handling the sale. Ask for answers and available records early, so you can decide whether to investigate further.
Start with these questions:
- Has water entered the basement, or has a drain or sewer backed up? When, where and what was done?
- Has the foundation been repaired? What problem was the repair intended to solve?
- What renovations or major replacements were completed, and when?
- Who did the work? Are invoices, photographs, warranties and permit records available?
- Are there known problems, unfinished repairs or outstanding inspections?
- Can my inspector and any needed specialists access the relevant areas?
A seller may not have records from earlier owners. Mark missing information as “unknown” rather than assuming it means no work or no problem. Asking questions does not give you permission to enter, test or open up the property. Arrange access and any additional investigation with the seller.
If you make an offer, ask your own real estate professional or lawyer how to allow time for the checks that matter. Have your lawyer explain the condition deadlines, what action each requires and your options if a check cannot be completed in time.
Can I ask who did the renovations and request receipts?
Yes. Ask for the contractor's business name, dates, a description of the work and supporting records. For a renovated basement, kitchen or bathroom, request:
- Itemized invoices showing what was repaired or replaced
- Photographs taken before walls or floors were covered
- Drawings or engineering reports, where applicable
- Permit numbers and inspection results for the relevant work
- Written warranties, including whether they transfer to a buyer
An invoice helps explain what was billed. It does not independently prove the quality of hidden work. Match records to the address, location in the home and actual project. With the necessary permission, ask the contractor to explain unclear work descriptions or warranty terms.
Where can I check Edmonton permit records?
The City's Search of Records service can provide copies of permits and past inspection results. A permit being issued is different from the required inspections being completed. Ask about both, including unresolved deficiencies or outstanding inspections.
Ask the City about the current process, owner authorization, fees and expected timing for the records you need before relying on them for a condition deadline.
Historic records can be incomplete, and the City does not guarantee that a search will find records. If something is missing, ask the City and your professional advisers what can be established and what remains unknown.
Ask the City which building and trade permits and inspections applied to the renovations. If a basement suite or rental use matters to your plans, ask the City how to verify its status and required approvals.
What inspection services does an older home need?
Begin with a licensed home inspector who has experience with similar homes. Alberta recommends checking that both the individual and the inspection business are licensed. Ask about qualifications, insurance and experience before booking.
Get the scope in writing: what will be inspected, what is excluded, the price and when the report will arrive. Alberta requires a written contract before the inspection and a written report afterward. Make sure the report will arrive with time for follow-up before your condition deadline.
Alberta: hiring a home inspector
Ask which inspection standard the inspector uses, which areas will be inaccessible and what a visual inspection cannot establish. Request recommendations for any further checks rather than treating an unexamined area as satisfactory.
Depending on the property and findings, discuss:
- Sewer-camera inspection: a camera check inside the sewer pipe; confirm whether it is included or separately booked.
- Structural assessment: a qualified structural engineer for concerns about movement, altered supports or earlier foundation work.
- Trade inspections: an electrician, plumber, heating technician or other relevant specialist for a specific unresolved system concern.
- Environmental testing: separate testing where appropriate. Do not treat a visual inspection as clearance for asbestos, mould, radon or other hazards.
Ask for any previous environmental reports, including their dates, methods and areas covered. Health Canada recommends professional asbestos testing before renovation work that may disturb suspect materials. Do not collect samples or disturb materials yourself during a viewing.
Health Canada: asbestos and your health
Radon needs its own testing plan. Health Canada recommends long-term testing, so a brief inspection visit cannot establish a home's long-term radon level. Discuss the timing and any existing results with a qualified testing professional.
What if the ground is frozen and there are mature trees?
Ask the inspector to identify what snow, ice or frozen conditions prevent them from assessing. This may affect the view of surfaces and drainage around the home. Request a written list of limitations and recommended follow-up, rather than treating an unseen area as satisfactory.
Useful questions include:
- Which exterior areas could you inspect today, and which could you not?
- What remains uncertain about water draining away from the foundation?
- Would a later visit help, and what would it still not establish?
- Can a sewer-camera inspection be completed now? What access is needed?
- How much of the sewer line will the camera reach, and will I receive video and written findings?
Mature trees are a reason to ask about sewer history, not proof of a damaged pipe. EPCOR identifies root intrusion, blockages, sagging and broken pipes among possible sewer problems. Ask about previous backups, cleaning, camera reports and repairs.
EPCOR says owners maintain and repair sewer lines on their property; EPCOR is responsible from the property line to the mainline. Ask the specialist to identify any defect's location and confirm responsibility before budgeting. Do not assume EPCOR will pay a private plumber's bill.
EPCOR: sewer lines and responsibilities
A sewer camera does not inspect the whole foundation or establish that the basement will stay dry. If access or an obstruction prevents a complete camera inspection, record the unexamined section and ask what further investigation would require.
How can I verify foundation repairs behind finished walls?
You may not be able to fully verify them without further access. Start with the original problem, the repair design and evidence of the completed work.
Ask for:
- The original assessment and any engineer's recommendations
- The repair location, date, contractor and itemized invoice
- Photographs before the wall was closed
- Relevant permit and inspection records
- Warranty terms and any later leaks, movement or repeat repairs
Give those records to your independent inspector. If structural questions remain, ask a qualified engineer what can be concluded from the documents and visible conditions, and what cannot.
An old report or warranty may be useful evidence, but it does not establish today's condition. Do not remove drywall or other finishes without the owner's permission. Agree on access, responsibility for repairing any damage and any specialist testing before invasive investigation.
The basement is wet. Is the seller's promise to fix it enough?
A promise alone does not establish the cause, the repair needed or whether the work succeeds. Before relying on it, obtain an independent assessment of the water problem and a written repair scope. Replacing wet flooring or repainting a wall does not establish that the source of the water has been addressed.
Bring these questions to your inspector, appropriate specialist and lawyer:
- What is known about the cause, and what is still uncertain?
- What work is proposed, who will do it and what permits or further testing are needed?
- What is the written cost and completion date?
- What evidence and independent reinspection will verify the work?
- What happens under the agreement if the work is incomplete or the problem returns?
Have your lawyer review any proposed repair agreement before you remove conditions. Ask how repairs, verification, deadlines and any proposed holdback would be documented, and what your options would be if the agreed work is not completed.
Keep a short “known, unknown, next step” checklist
For each concern, write down:
- Question: What do I need to establish?
- Evidence: Which record, observation or report supports the answer?
- Unknown: What could not be checked?
- Next step: Who will investigate, what will it cost and when will I get an answer?
- Deadline: Can I resolve it before my agreement requires a decision?
For example: “Foundation repair mentioned by seller; invoice received; wall concealed; engineer to review records and advise on access; timing still to confirm.” Keep an unknown open until you have useful evidence or have consciously decided, with appropriate advice, how to handle the uncertainty.
Add inspection fees, specialist checks and quoted immediate repairs to your home-buying cost plan. Keep the reports with your own records. Do not upload inspection reports or private financial documents through BCG's contact form.
Tell us the Edmonton areas, home type and timing you are looking for, including whether you are open to a home that needs work.