Buying an Older Regina Home? Here's What to Check Beyond the Wiring

If you've read our post on electrical compliance reports, you know insurers want proof an older home's electrical system is safe before they'll write a policy. That's one box to check. But if you're buying an older home in Regina, wiring isn't the only thing worth putting on your radar before you close.

Here's what else comes up a lot with older homes in this city, and why it's worth asking about before possession day, not after.

Radon

Regina sits in a part of the country with naturally higher radon levels in the soil. It's a radioactive gas that seeps up through foundation cracks and floor drains, and you can't see it, smell it, or taste it. The only way to know if a home has a problem is to test for it.

This matters more with older homes because foundations shift over the decades, cracks open up, and a lot of older basements weren't built with radon in mind at all. A short-term test takes 24 to 48 hours. If levels come back high, mitigation is a straightforward fix, usually a fan and pipe system that vents the gas out before it builds up indoors. It's not a reason to walk away from a home. It's just something you want to know about going in, the same way you'd want to know about the electrical panel.

If you're buying, it's worth asking the seller for a recent test result, or getting your own done during your inspection period. If you're selling an older home, having a clean radon test in hand removes another question mark for buyers, the same way a clean electrical compliance report does.

Sump pumps and foundation drainage

Regina's clay soil moves. Older homes especially can have foundation settling that shows up as cracks, uneven floors, or a sump pump that's working overtime. Ask when the sump pump was last serviced and whether the home has a backup battery system, because a power outage during a spring melt is exactly when you don't want that pump going quiet.

Poly-B and galvanized plumbing

If the home was built in a certain era, ask what the supply lines are made of. Poly-B and old galvanized pipe both have known failure points as they age, similar to how aluminum wiring does on the electrical side. It's not always a dealbreaker, but it affects what an insurer or a future buyer will want to see down the road.

Furnace and water heater age

Anything past 15 to 20 years old is worth budgeting for, even if it's still technically running. Ask for service records if the seller has them.

The pattern here

Older Regina homes aren't a problem, most of the city's housing stock falls into this category one way or another. But the systems that age quietly, wiring, radon levels, plumbing, foundations, are exactly the things a quick walkthrough won't catch. A little digging before you close saves you from finding out the hard way after you've got the keys.

Want a radon test or an electrical compliance report done before your closing date? Give us a call at 1-306-910-1469.