All home inspectors are not created equal. So if you’re looking for one to shine a green light on the historic home you’ve fallen in love with, be sure to do your homework first.

The debate still rages over whether a home inspection is money well spent largely due to the fact that the profession until recently has been unregulated in Ontario. But that argument flies out the window when it comes to century homes. Most housing experts will say the $300 to $500 you drop for an inspection is essential because a good inspector knows what to look for when examining an old house.

The first thing you need to do is find an inspector who has experience with older homes. If your home is designated a heritage home or has the potential to be designated, you will want a highly experienced housing expert who can also give you an idea of the cost of possible renovations and who will inform you about renovation limitations imposed due to its heritage designation. An ideal scenario would be an inspector who has worked on homes that were built in the same neighbourhood and era as yours.

There are plenty of century-old homes in Toronto and while age brings with it a certain cachet thanks to the building’s character and architectural detail, it also brings certain problems you likely wouldn’t find in a new build. A skilled property inspector knows how to identify concerns such as knob and tube wiring, aluminum wiring, aging wood frames, settlement and shrinkage cracking, lead plumbing pipes and galvanized plumbing lines, lead paint, mold, asbestos and cement and rock foundations with poor exterior waterproofing.

Generally, a heritage structure is designated as such when it’s a unique example of a particular architectural style, is directly linked with a person or organization with cultural significance, or  because it’s an old home that’s retained most of its original features.

Whether it’s deemed heritage or simply a century home, both likely share old age as a defining trait. Be sure to unearth a home inspector who not only understands the unique charms associated with older homes, but one who also knows the hazards and costs they can present. Better yet, try to find someone who owns or lives in a heritage home as they will have a keen awareness of the problems you may encounter.

As humans, we devote a large chunk of time, money and energy on food.

From the money we earn to buy groceries, to planning menus, shopping, preparing, cooking and eating, food is an all-encompassing portion of our lives. And as such, it’s incumbent on home cooks to look for more eco friendly ways of feeding your family. Let’s explore some options:

Tools & Equipment:

• Did you know it’s best to cover your pots and pans when cooking? That simple step adds up to less cooking time which conserves energy. It also means less clean-up with water as spattering is reduced.
• Try to grill outdoors as much as possible. This reduces indoor gas or electric usage as your food is cooked by propane gas or charcoal. With this method, you get the added bonus of not heating up your home on hot days and needing to turn up the air conditioning.
• Play it smart with foil. Use it to line baking dishes as that will help you with clean-up, meaning you will use less water. Foil can be recycled, too. Simply wash off and use to wrap leftovers.
• Be fridge friendly. These energy guzzlers consume the most in your kitchen so don’t buy ones that come with ice makers and water dispensers as that will only hike hydro consumption. Also if your fridge has exposed coils in the back try to vacuum them twice yearly as that will help the appliance run more efficiently.
• Run your dishwasher in the evening or early morning hours to save energy. Make sure it’s full and use biogradable soap. Let your dishes air dry as opposed to heat dry.

Produce & Groceries:

• Try to buy local as much as possible. Not only does this support local growers, but you are also getting food at its peak flavour and sparing the planet by preventing oil-fuelled trucks, planes and trains from delivering food from afar.
• Look for organic products. Organic farming practices do not depend on chemicals. Organic foods not only taste better but provide you with more nutrients than food from factory or commercial farms.
• Don’t dismiss leftovers. These kitchen miracles are often tastier the next day or a whole new dish once you transform Tuesday’s leftover meatloaf into a pasta dish for Wednesday. Think of the money, time and energy you will save with a little pre-planning. Keep kitchen scraps to make soup stock or toss them in your composter.
• Try cooking with smaller portions. Cutting meats and vegetables into smaller chunks allows your food to cook much faster which requires less energy.

Sources: www.fluxmagazine.com, www.earthbuddies.net, www.howstuffworks.com