Eight problem areas
Recognise the sign, then judge its weight.
These are general patterns, not a diagnosis of your home. When in doubt, treat a sign as one level more serious than it looks.
- What you may notice
- Stains on ceilings or walls, peeling paint, musty smells, damp baseboards or condensation that does not clear.
- Worth monitoring
- A small, dry stain that has not grown since you first saw it — mark its edge and check after the next heavy rain.
- Deserves a professional inspection
- A stain that spreads, darkens or returns after drying, or dampness in a basement after storms.
- May need urgent attention
- Dripping, sagging or bulging ceilings, and water near electrical fixtures or outlets.
- Safety note
- Keep clear of a sagging ceiling and do not touch wet electrical fixtures. Shut off water at the main if a supply line is leaking.
- What you may notice
- Missing, curling or cracked shingles, granules collecting in gutters, or daylight visible in the attic.
- Worth monitoring
- A few lifted shingle edges on an otherwise sound roof, with no sign of leaks inside.
- Deserves a professional inspection
- Widespread granule loss, soft spots underfoot, damaged flashing around chimneys or vents, or storm damage.
- May need urgent attention
- Active leaks during rain, or large sections of roofing missing after wind.
- Safety note
- Avoid walking on a roof yourself, especially when it is wet, steep or damaged.
- What you may notice
- Rooms that never reach temperature, short cycling, new noises, higher bills or weak airflow.
- Worth monitoring
- Slight unevenness between rooms that stays the same season to season.
- Deserves a professional inspection
- A system that runs constantly, ices up, trips breakers or keeps needing the same repair.
- May need urgent attention
- No heat in freezing weather, burning smells, or a carbon monoxide alarm.
- Safety note
- If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds or you smell gas, leave the home and call the utility or emergency services from outside.
- What you may notice
- Cracks in drywall, foundation walls or brick, doors that start sticking, or floors that begin to slope.
- Worth monitoring
- Thin, hairline cracks that do not widen over several months — date and measure them.
- Deserves a professional inspection
- Cracks wider than a coin edge, stair-step cracks in masonry, or doors and windows that suddenly bind.
- May need urgent attention
- Rapidly widening cracks, bowing walls, or sudden sagging of floors or beams.
- What you may notice
- Slow drains, low water pressure, running toilets, rust-coloured water or a rising water bill.
- Worth monitoring
- One slow drain that clears with basic cleaning and does not come back quickly.
- Deserves a professional inspection
- Several drains backing up at once, sewer smells, or corroded and weeping pipe joints.
- May need urgent attention
- A burst pipe, sewage backing into the home, or no water at all.
- Safety note
- Know where your main water shut-off is before you need it.
06
Electrical warning signs
- What you may notice
- Flickering lights, warm outlets or switch plates, frequently tripping breakers or buzzing sounds.
- Worth monitoring
- A single bulb that flickers and is fixed by replacing the bulb.
- Deserves a professional inspection
- Breakers that trip repeatedly, outlets that stop working, or two-prong outlets throughout an older home.
- May need urgent attention
- Burning smells, scorch marks, sparking, or outlets that are hot to the touch.
- Safety note
- Electrical faults are not a DIY diagnosis. Switch off the affected circuit at the panel if it is safe to do so, and use a licensed electrician.
- What you may notice
- Fog between panes, drafts, condensation on frames, sashes that will not stay open or soft wood sills.
- Worth monitoring
- A mild draft that weather-stripping or caulk resolves.
- Deserves a professional inspection
- Soft or rotting frames, water stains below windows, or several failed seals on the same side of the home.
- May need urgent attention
- Broken glass or a window that will not close or lock.
- What you may notice
- Peeling paint, cracked or loose siding, rotting trim, overflowing gutters or soil sloping toward the house.
- Worth monitoring
- Faded paint or minor surface wear with sound material underneath.
- Deserves a professional inspection
- Soft trim, gaps behind siding, gutters pulling away, or water pooling against the foundation.
- May need urgent attention
- Loose siding or gutters at risk of falling, or a visible opening where water or pests can enter.
