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How to Inspect Your Recreational Property Before You Buy
Prepared by Ed R.R.
Witzke, B. Arch., A. Sc.T., C.P.I., President of Witco Building
Inspection Service Ltd., and author of The Complete Home
Inspection Guide, published by McGraw-Ryerson. Copyrighted Ed.
R.R. Witzke.
Inspecting
recreational property is quite different from inspecting a house or
condominium in a city. Below are 24 questions you should ask
yourself before making that major recreational property purchase.
Owning recreational property is luxury.
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Economics of ownership. How much
time will you spend there and how much use will you make out of
the property? How long will it take you to drive back and
forth to the property? Is it cheaper to own a recreational vehicle
and move to a new location when and where you want to? What
is the cost of operating a vehicle in relation to owning the
property (including taxes, maintenance and depreciation)?
The further the property is away from your home, the less time you
will probably spend there. Ideally, the property should not
be more than five hours away.
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Climate. Check yearly and
monthly weather conditions. How much sunshine, wind, rain or
snow does the area get during the year? Does the morning sun come
out behind the mountains at 10:00 a.m. and set behind them at 3:00
p.m.? How cool is the site in the summer from ocean breezes
and how warm in the winter from tree breaks? How energy efficient
is the property and dwelling? Does the property have southern
exposure?
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Topography/ soil conditions. Is
the property down in the valley or high on a mountainside?
What type of soil is the property on – one with underground
streams, springs or aquifers? Do streams, rivers or creeks
have fish in them that are protected by the Fisheries Act?
How well does the soil drain? Soil with low moisture content won’t
heave as much in the winter as will wet frozen soil. How
much water will the property hold during spring runoff? Are
there sources of contaminated ground water or soil contamination
above the ground? How close are neighbouring farms?
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Air quality and pollutants. How
clean is the air? During the year are there airborne pollens
or pollutants along with smoke and smells from urban industries?
Noise from neighbouring air conditioners? Smoke from
neighbouring chimneys, or fires?
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Site location. How long does it
take to get to the hospital, post office, corner store, hardware
store or community centers? How long does it take for the
police or ambulance to come? Is the property protected by
environmental legislation by-laws or government rules and
regulations (e.g. streams, rivers, creeks, wetlands)? Is the
property on government leased land? How quiet is the site at
night? What romantic sounds can be heard during the day and
night? Do a title search on the property. Where are the
property lines located?
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Roadways into the site. Are the
roads to the site accessible year round or do you need to invest
first in a four wheel drive vehicle? Does the road pass through
restricted or controlled areas that are environmentally or
politically sensitive? Can the property be accessed by watercraft
or aircraft? Do you have to pay someone in the winter to
clean the snow to your property?
- Security.
How secure will the property be when no one is around? What needs
to be done to make the property secure – iron bars or mesh over
doors and windows or electronic monitoring?
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Telecommunications. Is it possible to erect a satellite dish
or receive microwave transmissions at the site? Are there any
forms of electromagnetic interference from large power
transmission lines near the property? Do mobile phones operate in
this area?
- Vermin and
poisonous plants. Be familiar with the native snakes, insects, and
poisonous plants in the area. Is the site infected with
carpenter ants, powder post beetles or other pests like deer,
raccoons, skunks, cougars, rats, foxes, bats, horseflies,
mosquitoes, wasps, hornets, and so on.
- Structure.
Have a good look at the component assembly of the cabin.
Look at the foundation walls for rot. Can you get under the
structure in the crawlspace? Does it have a crawlspace, piers, or
is it a slab or grade construction? Strong foundations are
essential in snow country and good eave protection in rain
country. Is the cottage situated into the wind in order to
equalize snow loads? Is there is a prevailing wind, can you
anticipate a heavy snow build up which can cause an unequal snow
load? How is the structure oriented to the site? Is
the roof ridge on the north-south or east-west axis? How and
where is the attic ventilated?
- Roof. In
recreational settings, roofs can be a real nuisance when not
properly installed or cared for. Often the roofs can cause
severe overheating problems inside. Some roofs are natural
gatherers of tree needles and moss. Is the roof built to
hold heavy snow loads? Can ice dams form in the winter? Do
roof overhangs take away sliding snow well away from all exterior
walls? Keep in mind all log houses need lots of roof
overhangs at all exterior walls.
- Chimneys.
How solidly constructed are the chimneys? Are they made out
of rock, brick, concrete block or metal? When were they last
cleaned?
- Water
supply/purification. How is the water brought to the cottage
– through a well and pump or a domestic waterline? Before
you purchase the cottage always have the water tested for
bacteria. If the water needs to be purified, how costly is
it? How old are any pumps or water storage tanks? Do
any of them have old lead couplings? How far is the well
away from the septic system? Does the well dry up during the
summer months?
- Sewage waste.
How is the sewage disposed of? If septic tanks and leach
fields are involved, where are they located and did the government
health department approve of the installation? When was the
septic tank last cleaned out? Is the sewage disposed of from
all neighbouring cottages on one piece of property set aside next
to yours? If outhouses are used, how are odours controlled?
How are they vented? What is the property size required for
the installation of a septic system?
- Heating.
How is the cottage heated – propane, wood stove or burning
fireplace, electric heating? How energy efficient is this
heating system? What are the heating costs of the cottage?
- Electricity. How
is the electricity supplied to the cottage? Are any
telephone poles on the site your responsibility should they rot
out or does the local power utility replace them? Who did
the wiring in the cottage? Is the cottage protected from
lightening strikes? Do you have a stand-by generator?
How frequent are power failures?
- Winterization.
What needs to be done to close the cottage down for the winter?
Drain the plumbing pipes? Treat the waste line traps?
Any use of self-regulating heat cables? Block off chimney flues
from rodent and bird entry. Check the foundations for any
rat entry. Come spring time you do not want a mould infested
cottage.
- Insurance.
Always check with your insurance broker to see what is insured for
fire, water, damage and theft? Is the insurance higher in
some areas because of active theft and vandalism?
- Design/layout of
the cottage is very important. What one strives to find is a
relatively maintenance-free dwelling. The purpose of owning
recreational property is to relax and spend time with your family
and friends and not spend time painting. How practical and
flexible are interior spaces?
There are all kinds of dwellings to choose from for your
recreational property. (e.g. Prefab and pre-cut, arch framed,
A-frames, earth cottages, floating cottages, log cabins, recycled
cottages). When looking at cottages/cabins, look at storage
space and boot/clothing drying areas. How well is the cottage
ventilated mechanically and naturally?
- Fireproofing,
child safety/emergency equipment. How childproof is the
cottage? A well equipped first aid kit including a
flashlight and fire extinguisher are essential. Members of
the family should be familiar with its content and first aid
practices. A complete list of up-to-date emergency phone numbers
should be posted by the phone. How would you respond if your
child ate a poisonous plant or got bitten by a poisonous snake or
fell down a steep embankment? In the event of a fire, do you
have a plan to get out? How fireproof is the cottage?
Is the recreational property free from forest and grass fires in
the summer? Is there a fire break around the cottage?
- Boat
houses/private moorage/docks. How well are they constructed?
Do they attract geese, ducks, beavers and other underwater chewing
rodents? Are there dock license fees? Illegal docks?
Home insurance may not cover dock insurance. Who pays if
someone is injured?
- The passing of
recreational property from one generation to the next. What
happens to the property when you die? Never assume your
children want the property. Communicate your desires.
Talk to a tax accountant and real estate lawyer. What tax
advantages are there when owning recreational property?
- Be careful when
dealing with realtors. Many do not know much about the
property or construction. All appear to want their commissions.
All want to be your friend come selling or buying time, but once
the deal is done they move on quickly to the next sale. Ask
the realtor how many lawsuits he/she has had? How much
recreational property have they personally sold, listed or owned?
There is a difference between lake front and water front.
Water front could be a swimming pool, river or stream. There
is a difference between prize fish catches and bottom feeders.
Read real estate sales ads carefully. Hire a real estate
lawyer to represent you, don’t necessarily trust realtors.
- Check all bylaws
and restricted uses. i.e. size of power vessels and any
watercraft on the lake, smoke bylaws, noise bylaws, any strata
arrangements and their bylaws.
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