What to check in an older Pickering bungalow
Most of these houses are sixty years old or more, so the questions are about what has been replaced. Ask when the roof, furnace and windows were replaced and whether the electrical panel still carries fuses or an older 60-amp service. In Bay Ridges and West Shore, ask whether the original clay or cast-iron drains have been swapped for plastic, and whether the basement has stayed dry; lots near Frenchman's Bay and Krosno Creek sit low. A raised bungalow gives you big lower-level windows and a natural spot for an in-law suite, but any second unit reportedly needs registration with the City of Pickering, so treat a finished basement as living space until the paperwork says otherwise. Bungalofts in the newer subdivisions are a different purchase: check the builder's Tarion coverage dates and whether the loft is a real bedroom or an open landing.