When it comes to real estate investments, doing due diligence is essential for ensuring you make the best decision possible. When considering a property in Toronto, there are several factors that must be taken into account before any commitment is made. From making sure all building permits have been closed to studying the surrounding area for new developments to assessing the amount of sun exposure the property gets, understanding these variables can help ensure you make an informed decision.
Ensuring All Building Permits Are Closed

Before purchasing a property in Toronto, it’s important to check that all building permits associated with the home have been closed. This helps protect buyers from inheriting any potential liabilities related to renovations or construction projects done on the house prior to purchase. To confirm this information, buyers can contact their local municipal office or review online records directly from the City of Toronto website. It is important to note that the cities online services does not contain older permits that are closed or those that may have been left open.
If you want older records there are two ways to obtain this information:
1) File a written request at the Toronto building desk at City hall (these take about 7-14 days to process)
2) Obtain a property report from us. Our records date back to as early as 2001 and include all open, closed and rejected permits up until the present day (reports take approximately 5 minutes to generate and you don't need to leave your house)
Being Aware of What New Developments Are Happening in the Surrounding Area
In addition to researching existing buildings and homes, conducting research on what new developments are happening in the surrounding area is also key when considering a real estate investment in Toronto. Knowing about any upcoming projects such as road improvements, public transportation expansion plans or new housing developments can provide insight into how much value your investment may gain over time and help inform your buying decision accordingly.

You can find this information in a variety of places. Two useful sources are the cities website which contains development and zoning related changes, as well as Metrolinx which houses most of the public transit related development data. If you click into the provided links you will find the data isn't really designed to be easily understood, that is why we have done the hard work of collating all this information, including the data that is in difficult to read formats such as CSV, JSON and Geospatial databases, and provide it to you in one clean report for any address in the city.
How Much Sun Exposure The Property Gets

The amount of sunlight that a property receives has been known to impact both its value and human health benefits. Studies have shown that properties with more sunshine have higher values than those without it, while increased amounts of natural light have also been linked with improved moods and better overall well-being for occupants within the home. To assess how much sun exposure a particular property gets throughout the day, buyers should use publicly available resources like MappedBy which offers imagery overlays showing not only where shadows fall but also how they move across a neighbourhood over different times of year – helping buyers understand exactly how much sunlight their potential investment will get at any given time throughout each season.
Flooding & Climate Change
As climate change continues to bring extreme weather events like flooding and storms, it’s important that buyers take this into consideration when scouting potential investments in real estate. Be sure to look up past records of flooding or storm damage at the address you’re looking at as well as review nearby areas where water tends to pool during heavy rainstorms – all this information can help you make an informed decision regarding whether or not this particular location would be a wise long-term investment for you.
A great place to start this research is by looking up the floodplain map, include with all of our reports.

A floodplain is an area of land adjacent to a river or stream that experiences flooding during periods of high water. Floodplains are typically flat and low-lying, and may include meadows, marshes, or wetlands. Humans, like animals, enjoy these naturally lush environments but it's important to ensure you're not buying into an area that exposes you to the financial and safety risks of flooding.
Overall, doing due diligence on Toronto real estate requires taking various factors into account including ensuring all building permits are closed, being aware of what new developments are happening in the surrounding area and assessing how much sun exposure the property gets - all of which can help inform an educated decision about buying or investing in this market. Fortunately for prospective buyers and investors alike, tools such as MappedBy offer reports and overlays which provide valuable insights into many aspects related to real estate purchases - allowing you to make more informed decisions based on fact rather than gut feeling alone!
You can can subscribe for unlimited reporting with our low cost monthly and annual plans, or get one off reports only as needed.
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