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6 Things You Can (easily) Find Out About A Hamilton Property
04.23.2021

6 Things You Can (easily) Find Out About A Hamilton Property

Buying

If you’re looking for a house in Hamilton, you want as much information as you can get about the place before you buy. Especially in these times of frenzied bidding wars and shortened showing times, doing your own research can help you make an informed decision.

Whether the Hamilton property you are interested in is for sale or not (yet), you can do a little legwork to find out some important details.

Here is some preliminary recon you can do to find out some important details:

 

TAXES

Hamilton makes is really easy to find out the annual taxes for a property within the municipality.  If you are curious about how much you’d pay in taxes, you can search by address here at Hamilton’s Property Inquiry Tool.

This database includes the original City of Hamilton, as well as Stoney Creek, Dundas, and Ancaster.  You can look up commercial and residential properties.  It will show you three years’ worth of taxes, as well as the breakdown of what’s included.

Here’s a guide to help you read Hamilton property tax bills.

 

PERMITS

You always hope that a seller obtained the appropriate permits for any work beyond cosmetics.  Structural changes can create danger if not done properly by a professional who knows what they’re doing.

Maybe you’re looking at a property (listed or not) that was recently renovated. You’d like to know about the existence and status of any permits.

Hamilton has a public search option for permits here.  It will show you closed permits within the past 12 months.  This means the City approved the final renovation or modification.

It will also show you permits that the City has issued.  These permits are still open and subject to inspection and/or final approval.  If you see this status, it’s a good sign.  It means the current owners are doing their best to do the work correctly.  But it’s a flag for you to ask some questions to make sure that the permits will be closed before you buy.

Here’s a guide to what requires a permit and what doesn’t.

 

LEAD WATER SUPPLY PIPES

If you’re looking at a home that is pre-1960, it’s a good idea to do a little research into the water supply pipes.  Hamilton still has some lead pipe in its infrastructure.  They are working to update it. Any time a homeowner applies for a plumbing permit to replace interior plumbing, it triggers the City to look at their public supply lines to that property.  They do a “Size and Type” inspection to assess whether the public service pipe (between your property line and the water main) is lead or is less than 3/4″ in diameter.

As a potential buyer, it’s important that you know where your household water is coming from.  Especially in the Lower City, you should investigate whether the pipes are 3/4″ copper supply lines.

This one is not a simple online search, unfortunately.  It is, though, a simple call to 905-546-CITY (2489).  When you call, make sure that you are clear that you are only inquiring about the public portion of the supply lines.  They will not release any information about updates done by the owner to the private portion.

For more info about lead pipes, check the City of Hamilton website.

 

ZONING

Seldom will you truly need to deal with zoning unless you plan to make some changes to a property.  For example, Hamilton allows conversion of single family homes into two-family dwellings only in certain zones: AA, B, B-1, B-2, C, D, R-2 (as of the last time we checked).

Zoning designations affect things like parking, property use, and setbacks.  It also affects whether you can have farm animals, including chickens.  (Only rural or agricultural zoning allows them.)

If you’re looking at a property, and you need to know about specific uses, it’s always good to do a full zoning verification.  This will cost between $124-384.

To start, though, check out Hamilton’s Interactive Zoning Map.  At the top, enter the address of the property into the white text box, and a clear map will show you the base zoning of the area.  This will let you know if you’re on the right track to pursue your plans!

 

FUTURE BUILDING

When you fall in love with a place that has open space around it, you might want to know if there are any planned projects for the area.  Whether you just want to be surrounded by greenery and quiet, or you have a beautiful view you don’t want to lose, you’ll be interested in any upcoming development plans.

Take a peek into applications for development here.  Enter the address in the text box at the top of the map.  Use the Legend and the Layer List options at the bottom of the screen to see what the pins close to your property mean.  If you see any pins that are in an area that you want more detail about, you can call the City of Hamilton at 905-546-2489.  Ask for the Planning Department and tell them what your concerns are.  They will tell you what they can about the application and how you might be affected.

 

CONSERVATION LAND

In the City of Waterfalls, surrounded by so much of nature’s beauty, it’s no surprise that some of our lands come under Conservation Control.  This could affect the way you use your land and even its resale value.

To find out whether any part of a property is Conservation Land, go to the Conservation Hamilton website.  The map tool isn’t as user-friendly as we’d like, but it does give you the choice between desktop and mobile.  Type the address in the text box. If any Conservation Control applies, it will show you results.  Click the arrow that says, “Click to expand results.”  Then click on “Layers” to get a description of what the map shows you.

If you find out that you do fall into a zone that is under this Conservation Authority, you can get more information about restrictions that apply by calling 905-525-2181 or emailing nature@conservationhamilton.ca.

 

We are always happy to do this research and more for you before you make offers on a property.  Due diligence is crucial to make sure that you get what you really want.  If you have other questions about a property that is listed for sale, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We will help find answers!

 

 

 

 

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