Dear Realty Check,
In that crazy storm a few weeks ago, my basement flooded and my neighbours had sewage back up into theirs. They lost pretty much everything they had stored down there.
We’ve never done any waterproofing and I am VERY motivated now—but every solution seems to cost thousands. If I can’t do everything at once, where should I start?
— Pour Decisions
Dear Pour Decisions,
First, don’t be too hard on yourself. More extreme weather is testing homes and infrastructure in ways they simply weren’t built for.
Before spending anything, figure out where the water is coming from. If you’re in a flood-prone area or your neighbourhood has drainage issues, there may be limits to what you can control during a major storm.
Then tackle things roughly in this order:
- Start outside. Make sure eavestroughs and downspouts move water away from your foundation and that the property is graded away from the house. In tightly packed neighbourhoods, check where your neighbours’ water is draining too.
- Check your window wells. They should extend below the windows and have proper drainage so they don’t become tiny swimming pools during a downpour.
- Consider waterproofing and a sump pump. If you install a sump pump, add a battery backup—you don’t want a power outage taking it offline during the exact storm you need it.
- Ask about a backwater valve. It can help prevent municipal sewage from backing up into your basement, which is particularly worth investigating if it has already happened on your street.
And one last tip: design your basement assuming water is always a possibility. Skip the wall-to-wall carpet, consider more water-resistant flooring like vinyl, and maybe don’t keep the family photo albums in cardboard boxes on the basement floor.
You can’t control the weather, but you can make your house a much tougher target.
— Hillary
Dear Realty Check,
I’m super excited because my fiancé and I are about to upsize from our condo into a house. We’ve worked hard and have also been gifted some money from his family as a wedding present. The catch is that my father-in-law has a lot of opinions and fancies himself a jack of all trades. I’m worried nothing is going to be good enough for him and looking for a home will be more stressful than planning a wedding.
— All in the Family
Dear All in the Family,
Congratulations on the engagement and on having some help upsizing in an expensive market!
Opinionated family members come up a lot in real estate, especially when financial support is involved. Before you start looking, get on the same page with your fiancé about any strings attached, what role your FIL will have and, importantly, who will handle the tricky conversations with him. Being united as a couple will go miles.
Much like planning a wedding with parental support, it can also help to give him a few wins so he feels included without letting him take over the whole thing. Decide where you genuinely value his input and where the decisions belong to the two of you.
Have a clear budget and priorities, educate yourself on the process and surround yourselves with an experienced realtor and other professionals who can help you make informed, objective decisions and show your in-laws you’re doing your due diligence.
Most importantly, separate legitimate concerns from personal preferences. A foundation issue deserves attention. Ugly carpets can be easily replaced. A good realtor, inspector and qualified trades can help you tell the difference and focus on what really matters.
Overall try to remember that you can be grateful for the help without giving someone else the final vote on where you live.
— Hillary
Dear Realty Check,
Am I crazy for considering moving my kids out of a really highly ranked school district?
My wife wants us to move closer to her family, and I get it. We’d have grandparents nearby, way more help with the kids and generally an easier life. BUT the local school rankings are… not great. Meanwhile, our kids’ current school is one of the highest ranked in the city.
I keep thinking: are we really going to pull them out of a great school just to make our lives easier? And if we do, are we going to regret it?
— Out Ranked
Dear Out Ranked,
I understand the hesitation, but school rankings are definitely not the be-all and end-all.
The rankings most people look at are largely based on standardized test results. They don’t tell you everything about the administration, individual teachers, programming, diversity, school community or whether your particular child will thrive there.
I know plenty of Toronto parents who are very happy with schools that don’t top the rankings. And remember: you can attend a highly ranked school, get a teacher who isn’t a good fit and have a terrible year anyway. I prefer a “good enough” approach: make sure you’re comfortable with the school, but also talk to parents who actually send their kids there. They’ll often tell you far more than a score will.
School rankings can absolutely affect property values, and some families deliberately buy in coveted school districts for both the education and potential resale value. But there’s another side to that premium. Choosing a neighbourhood with more moderate school rankings might mean a bigger house, a larger yard or more money left over for travel and other family experiences. Neither choice is inherently better, it’s about deciding what adds the most value to your family’s life.
And don’t discount what you’re gaining. Having family nearby can mean more support, less-stressed parents and more time with people who love your kids. There’s no ranking for that, but it matters.
I’d look at the whole ecosystem your kids will grow up in, not just the number attached to their school.
— Hillary
