Man, where do I even start with this one? Just launched Singh Home Inspections this year – been a Calgary homeowner myself for years and always wondered about this stuff – and I gotta tell you, some of the things I’m learning would make your hair curl.
Just last week, right? This couple calls me up, all excited about this “perfect” house they found in Hillhurst. Perfect my ass. Within ten minutes I’m standing in their basement going “uh oh” because the foundation’s moving more than a salsa dancer. Cost them fourty grand to fix. Fourty! Could’ve bought a nice truck with that money.
But here’s what gets me – and I mean this drives me absolutely nuts – people keep asking me “how do I know when I need an inspection?”
Seriously?
Your house is worth 649 grand on average now, and your wondering if you should spend 450 bucks to make sure it won’t fall down? Come on.
Anyway, here’s seven signs your house is basically screaming “HELP ME” and your just not listening.
1. Your Lights Are Having a Rave (And You Didn’t Invite Them)
Okay so this one… man, this one scares the hell out of me every time. You know what I’m talking about – lights flickering like there trying to send you morse code. “S.O.S. Your wiring sucks.”
I remember this beautiful character home I inspected recently – we’re talking 1920s charm, hardwood floors, the whole nine yards. Owner’s like “oh, the lights just flicker a tiny bit.”
Tiny bit?
I pop open the electrical panel and it looks like somebody’s science fair project from 1975. Half the breakers are held together with electrical tape (I wish I was kidding), and there’s this burning smell that definitly isn’t coming from the kitchen.
Alberta just updated the electrical code again – 26th edition, came into force April 1st – and thank God because some of these old houses are death traps waiting to happen.
Warning signs that’ll make me drop my coffee and run:
- Breakers tripping more than a drunk guy at Stampede
- Outlets hot enough to fry bacon on
- That smell… you know the one… like something’s cooking but shouldn’t be
- Light switches that shock you (not romantic, just dangerous)
Look, electrical problems show up in 70% of inspections. Seventy percent! That’s not coincidence, that’s Calgary houses trying to kill people.
My thermal camera picks up hot spots behind walls that you’d never see coming. Already helped a family avoid what would’ve been a house fire. Their insurance company actually sent me a thank-you card. When’s the last time an insurance company thanked anybody for anything?
2. Water Damage Playing Hide and Seek
Calgary weather is bipolar. I mean it – we go from +15 to -20 in twelve hours, and your house is like “what the hell just happened?”
This freeze-thaw thing we do here? It’s brutal on everything. Pipes, foundations, roofs – everything’s expanding and contracting like it’s doing yoga.
So this one time – Mount Pleasant, gorgeous area, million-dollar homes – I’m checking this basement that looks perfect. Finished walls, nice flooring, the works. But my moisture meter is going crazy. Like, off-the-charts crazy.
Turns out there’s water partying behind those beautiful finished walls. Been going on for months. The cleanup? Fifteen thousand dollars. Fifteen! And that’s just getting back to square one.
Signs your house is drowning:
- Ceiling stains that look like abstract art (but aren’t)
- Basement smell that’s “vintage” in all the wrong ways
- Paint bubbling up like your walls have acne
- Black spots growing where black spots shouldn’t grow
CREB’s saying our market’s gonna stay competitive through 2025, which means sellers are trying to hide this stuff. Don’t let their water problem become your wallet problem.
Water damage is sneaky. By the time you see it, your already looking at big money. I find the hidden stuff before it turns into a mortgage payment.
3. Foundation Issues That’ll Ruin Your Sleep
Calgary sits on clay. Fancy clay, sure, but still clay. And clay moves. A lot.
I swear, some days I think Calgary soil has commitment issues worse than my ex-girlfriend. Wet, it expands. Dry, it shrinks. Your foundation’s just along for the ride, and it’s not having fun.
Had this inspection in Cochrane where the lady’s like “the front door sticks sometimes.” Sometimes? I could’ve driven my F-150 through the gap that opened up. APHIS standards require us to check this stuff thoroughly, and I get why.
What to watch for:
- Cracks appearing faster than wrinkles after 40
- Doors sticking worse than that drawer in your kitchen
- Floors sloping like we’re on the side of a mountain
- Windows that won’t close (or won’t open)
Foundation repair done early? Maybe three, four thousand. Foundation repair done late? I’ve seen estimates over fifty grand. That’s a year of truck payments right there.
4. Your Furnace is Basically Dead but Nobody Told It Yet
Calgary winters don’t mess around, right? Remember that cold snap last February when it hit -35 for a week straight? Yeah, that’s when you find out if your furnace is actually working or just pretending.
This elderly couple in Airdrie calls me because there gas bill tripled. Tripled! Their furnace was older than the Flames’ last Stanley Cup (ouch, but true) and about as efficient as heating with birthday candles.
HVAC problems show up in 70% of inspections – that’s not a typo, that’s how bad most systems are.
Your system’s crying for help if:
- Some rooms feel like Florida, others like Antarctica
- It sounds like there’s angry squirrels fighting inside
- Your energy bills are climbing faster than house prices
- The thing cycles on and off like it can’t make up its mind
I test system efficiency with actual equipment, not just “feels warm to me.” Already caught a carbon monoxide leak that could’ve killed a whole family. They bought me a case of beer. Best case of beer I ever earned.
5. Roof Problems That Start Small, End Expensive
Calgary weather is basically Mother Nature throwing temper tantrums. Hail the size of golf balls, chinook winds that could relocate your shingles to Medicine Hat, snow loads that would crush a lesser roof.
Just climbed a roof in Okotoks last week – looked fine from the street. From up there? Looked like a demolition derby happened. Market data shows more people asking for roof assessments after our crazy weather lately.
Red flags your roof is waving:
- Shingles in your gutters (they belong on your roof, genius)
- Granules everywhere like someone had a sandbox party
- Water stains that definitly aren’t feng shui
- Ice dams forming like your house is growing teeth
Roof replacement runs 15-30K minimum these days. Water damage from a failed roof? Seen estimates over 100K. That’s “sell your kidney” money.
I use drones now for safety – learned that lesson from talking to other inspectors who’ve had close calls. Nothing like hearing about trips to the Foothills Hospital to teach you about workplace safety.
6. Plumbing from the Dinosaur Era
Calgary water is harder than a hockey puck. Seriously, it’s so hard you could probably build a house with it. Combined with our freeze-thaw cycles, your pipes take more punishment than a Flames goalie in playoffs.
Beautiful heritage home in Hillhurst – owner bragging about “original character features.” The original 1920s galvanized pipes definitly had character. Evil character. Water pressure so weak you could shower faster with a spray bottle.
Plumbing problems that make me grab my toolbox:
- Water pressure weaker than Tim Hortons coffee
- Water colors that belong in a science experiment
- Pipes making sounds like there haunted
- Leaks playing peek-a-boo around everything
CAHPI emphasizes plumbing evaluation because hidden leaks destroy houses before you even know they exist. I’ve already seen estimates for 25K in water damage from a “tiny” leak behind a toilet. Tiny my ass.
7. Air Quality That’s Slowly Poisoning Your Family
Calgary winters are long. Like, really long. You seal up your house in October and don’t open windows until May. That’s seven months of breathing the same air over and over.
Family in Mount Pleasant called me because there kids kept getting sick. “Must be school germs,” they figured. Nope. Their HRV system was so plugged up the air quality was worse than downtown during rush hour.
Canadian standards say indoor air quality is crucial for family health, and there not kidding around.
Watch for:
- Smells that make you question your life choices
- Windows crying condensation tears constantly
- Humidity that makes you feel like you live in a terrarium
- Everyone developing mysterious coughs
I test for radon, carbon monoxide, all the invisible stuff that’ll kill you quietly. Found radon levels in a Tuscany home that were off the charts just last month. Mitigation system cost 3K. Cancer treatment? Priceless. Well, actually very expensive, but you get the idea.
Look, Here’s the Bottom Line
Started this business in 2025 after being a Calgary homeowner and getting tired of wondering “who can I trust with this stuff?” Home inspection industry brings in over 3 billion annually because guess what? It works.
My thermal cameras see through walls. My moisture meters find problems you can’t see. My electrical testing equipment catches fire hazards before they catch fire. Most importantly, I’m learning what matters from every single inspection.
Maria from Calgary – nice lady, bought a house in Kensington – told me our inspection saved her 35 grand. Foundation issue we caught before it became a foundation disaster. She’s already recommending us to friends.
Don’t Be Stupid About Your Money
Calgary real estate’s still nuts in 2025 – homes selling faster than hotdogs at Stampede. Market pressure makes people skip inspections. That’s like buying a used car without looking under the hood.
Singh Home Inspections covers Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks – basically anywhere there’s houses that might be trying to kill people. We’ve got local knowledge (born and raised here, Flames season ticket holder since ’04) plus equipment that costs more than most people’s cars.
Average inspection costs 450 bucks. Average problem I help people avoid? Over 15K. That’s not marketing BS, that’s what I’m learning from tracking every inspection.
Your house is probably fine. Probably. But “probably” doesn’t pay for foundation repairs.
Call (403) 861-7100 or email info@singhhomeinspections.ca. Let’s make sure your dream home doesn’t become your financial nightmare.
Because honestly? I’m building this business on preventing horror stories, not creating them.