Things Ottawa Buyers May Notice #21 – Skylights

Posted on February 13, 2009 
Filed Under Buying Your New Home, Things Buyers May Notice, Valerie Zinger

As I go out with Buyers and host Open Houses, there are things that Buyers will notice in homes.  This series looks at the good and not-so-good things that Buyers notice.

Skylights

 Last year I was showing a home to my Buyer.  It was a multi-storied townhouse with a skylight at the top of the stairwell.  It was wonderful to have some light streaming into the stairwell.  I know my Buyer was very impressed.  What she did not notice was the stains on the walls all around the skylight.  I know it was far up and a little difficult to see but this was very important.  I asked her to take a look and to understand that a home inspection with someone on a very tall ladder would be needed to determine the source of the stains.  It could have been that the stains were simply a result of moisture from inside the house accumulating (which is very common with houses in winter when we are sealed tight to keep the heat inside) and that some good paint, opening the windows from time to time and a watchful eye for fog on the glass would be needed.  On the other hand, the stains could have resulted from leaks around the window – where the flashings did not hold up, installation was less than perfect or the roof was aging and the seal around the window was in need of repair. Although we loved the light, the idea of four flights of stairs connecting the rooms was less than ideal for the Buyer and we moved on before putting in an offer and finding out more about that skylight.

If you are buying a house with a skylight, ask your inspector to take a good look at it.

 Photo credit:  skylight @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/miheco/380660346/

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ 613-723-5300 ~ vzinger@royallepage.ca

 

Comments

One Response to “Things Ottawa Buyers May Notice #21 – Skylights”

  1. Mathew Moxness on June 12th, 2010 12:37 pm

    I agree that skylights are agreat addition in a home. CES Canadian eneergy solution can provide you with any products from skylights to solar thermal products. We offer skylights in the Ottawa and Montreal area.

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