Property Site Exterior Roof – Townhome or condo

When buying a home that is located on common property, there is a Strata in charge of taking care of common elements for the homeowners. This may be only the grounds, but in most cases also includes some of the building components as well. Exterior siding, roofs, perhaps windows, and doors. The specifics are never known to the inspector but should be confirmed by the home buyer so they know exactly what to expect going forward.

The monthly fees collected from each homeowner are deposited into a contingency fund and used for repairs as needed and replacement of building components as they age out. In the end, homeowners are paying for all repairs whether through their monthly fees or from their own pockets.

As per the Scope of Inspection the building exterior, roof, and grounds are not included as a requirement of inspections on strata properties, but I feel it’s important for buyers to learn if there are any conditions present that they need to know about.

I perform a walk around the building where the home is located, assessing grade conditions and roof water drainage. Water control is critical to the health of the building. I inspect the building’s siding, windows, and doors looking for defects and missing components. Exterior exhaust vents and intakes related to the unit are inspected. Staining on siding and signs of uncontrolled water drainage are noted. Where possible I will get up on the roof, or use a telescopic pole with a high definition camera to get an idea of condition. In general, the maintenance habits of the Strata area assessed.