Home Inspections in New Westminster - What's unique about a New Westminster Home?
New Westminster is no longer a secret.
The unique mix of Craftsman, Victorian, mid-century stucco ranchers and post-war bungalows make New Westminster such a rare and beautiful neighbourhood in the Lower Mainland and a real treat for me, as a home inspector, because they always offer some interesting building and renovation challenges, some very well done, some, well, challenging! The wide neighourhood boulevards and yards that have established gardens and it's turning out to be a great investment for people who are moving from their Vancouver properties. They manage to save significantly if they buy in New West. What they find, however, is a wonderful little community that's full of tree-lined streets, lovely little restaurants and locally-owned stores, and even river and bridge views, (if they choose to buy a condo on the water).
If your property is listed on the Heritage Register, it is not legally protected. However, it means that the property has been recognized by the City as having heritage value to the community. As the owner of a heritage building in New Westminster, you are encouraged to work with City Staff to retain and protect your structure, while ensuring its use, density and function are the best they can be.
There are advantages to retaining a heritage building: for example, properties listed on a Heritage Register are eligible for special provisions in the B.C. Building Code and the Homeowner Protection Act.
There's also an eclectic mix of mixed-use, condo and townhouse developments, and I inspect them all. New Westminster was one of the first residential areas that incorporated multi-storey apartments in their city planning, so even today, you'll find some three or four story buildings that were built in the 1950's and 1960's.
The city used to have a large institution for (in their words) "mentally disturbed children" - Woodlands, a large federal penitentiary right on the water, and one of BC's largest breweries — Labatts. Woodlands was torn down to accommodate more housing. The "BC Pen" was torn down to accommodate a mixed bag of multi-family, condo and townhouses, all which afford a beautiful view. Recently, just down the street from that area, the Brewery District is booming with modern multi-use buildings that replaced the old Labatt's Brewery footprint. And in the Expo years of 1986 the New Westminster Quay was a bustling farmers market. It still has a market, but it's more subdued.
The old charm of New Westminster will never change, I believe. Even though some of its "monuments" are being exchanged for more density, the city seems to hold fast to maintaining its uniqueness.
What do I find - or what do I look for - on a New Westminster home inspection? In a word, everything.
The older homes for the most part have had their old electrical and plumbing completely exchanged for more efficient or modern components that fit today's lifestyle. It's hard to imagine a modern home being able to run with the old "knob and tube". It's rare, but I have found it, or at least some evidence of it, from time to time.
I'm looking for some improper grade clearance on the older houses, as well as earth to wood contact on the sills, old sills that are deterioriating, improper wiring, signs of amateur work in renovations, signs of wood rot or moisture ingress. Sometimes there's some signs of insect damage. In that case, I'll be referring you to an insect control specialist who can pinpoint the areas of concern and remedy them. Many times that is because homeowners like to plant very close to their home, which is an easy gateway for rodents, pests, and bugs to cause trouble. I'm not a fan of ivy on stucco. I never will be, no matter how pretty you think ivy is, it's a problem if you want to maintain your home.
Who doesn't love the Quay area of New Westminster? You are only seconds away from transit, which brings you to work in Vancouver in minutes, but you also are a river stroll away from getting your 10K steps. All of those beautiful condos on the water - twenty years ago, at the beginning of the leaky condo crisis, were under the famous "blue tarp. Many of the buildings there had to go for major renovations and rainscreening. The vast majority of the "leaky condos" have been remedied and are in good shape now. But I'm still looking for trouble in all the wrong and right places!