Will the extreme weather affected your home?

Are we tired of all the crazy weather yet?  From snow and ice storms to heavy rain events, we are getting it all this winter.  More headlines like “Flooding remains a problem in Odessa” are in the news.

The question is:  How does all this weather stuff affect you when you go to sell your home?

Extreme weather may be more frequent then we realize. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC),

“Damage caused by severe weather has emerged in recent years as the leading cause of property insurance claims and now exceeds fire damage in some regions of the country.

Environment Canada reports that extreme weather events that used to happen every 40 years can now be expected to happen every six. The resulting increase in insured losses from natural catastrophes is not a short-term phenomenon. Payouts from extreme weather have more than doubled every five to ten years since the 1980s.”

The chances have increased that your home could be affected in one way or another by the weather such as wind, flood, fire, or hail.  Calgary is leading the way with 67% of all disaster payouts in Canada.  Another consideration is the crumbling stormwater infrastructures in many towns and cities.  We are certain to see higher insurance premiums for homes, as well as property tax increase as municipalities set out long range plans to fix problems.

As homeowners, we should always be aware that every home has the potential for being damaged by weather.  Look at preventative steps like

  • Securing items in backyards or on decks so they don’t become airborne during high winds.
  • Direct downspouts away from foundations so water doesn’t pool near the home
  • Install a backflow prevention device on basement floor drains.

 

Any material damage to your home can have a negative impact when it comes to selling of your home. How you handle the matter can greatly affect the outcome.

It is important to point out that you must disclose to any potential buyer material defects in a home that you are aware of, for example, whether or not there has been water in the basement.  Fixing the problem does not remove your obligation of disclosure of “LATENT” defects (defects which cannot be readily seen).

See: The “truth” about property disclosure statements by Mark Weisleder

If tragedy strikes your home, ensure you have a professional do the repairs.  Request a report detailing the repairs.   Pictures are worth a thousand words.  These may prove beneficial to you to help detail the repairs which have been completed.

When it comes time to put your home on the market you will be armed with the type of details which we seldom see.  This will make the difference between your home sitting on the market for months and potentially not selling, or selling quickly and at full market value.

Last bit of advise!  Disclose, disclose, disclose…. If you don’t, your neighbours will!!  Lawsuits are costly and nobody wins.

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