Buying an Older Home in Victoria, BC – Beware of These Construction Eras

Victoria’s residential neighbourhoods are a living museum of architectural history. From grand Victorian manor homes in Rockland to craftsman bungalows in Fairfield and post-war bungalows in Saanich. If you’re thinking about buying one of these character homes, you’re not alone. However, these types of homes also come with some warnings.

My own house is 110 years old. I love it, and I’ve learned a lot about what to watch for. This guide breaks down the key risks of buying an older home in Victoria by era so you can fall in love with one without falling into a money pit.

Homes Built Before 1920: Victorian & Arts and Crafts Era

Victoria’s oldest residential neighborhoods, James Bay, Fernwood, Rockland, and Fairfield, are lined with Queen Anne, Italianate, Tudor Revival, and craftsman bungalows from this era.

They’re stunning, but they come with the longest list of potential issues.

Before we get into this, we want to be clear on something. Never, ever buy a home without first getting a professional home inspection done. Sometimes two are warranted. One from the seller and one from the buyer. That way, you don’t get any bias from the seller’s choice of inspector. Make sure your inspector gets dirty in the crawlspace or basement, and checks the foundation, the attic and everything listed in the ‘watch for this’ list below!

What to watch for when buying a home built before 1920:

Foundation & structure: Poured concrete foundations are common but may show signs of cracking from age, ground settlement, and by way of the odd bigger earthquake that we are certainly not immune to.
- Dirt basements with no vapor barrier or concrete slab are particularly prone to moisture intrusion and rodents.
Perimeter drainage: Perimeter drainage is often non-existent or only partially updated in these older homes. When it rains outside, the lack of drainage or correct sloping can direct a deluge of water directly into the basement of the home.
Exterior envelope: Original wood siding and shingles deteriorate over time, leading to water ingress and rot. Chimneys without rain caps allow water, birds, and pests inside.
Electrical: Knob and tube wiring was standard until around 1940. This ancient technology is an insurance and fire hazard that needs replacing. You might not even get approved for home insurance with that still installed.
Plumbing: Original copper, steel, or brass supply lines may be nearing failure. Very old pipes will rust from the inside out and you won’t know it’s rotten until a catastrophic leak happens. Cast iron waste sewer lines have roughly a 100-year lifespan and rust from the inside out. Ceramic tile sewer lines are also not uncommon, so be sure to check for this as well!
Asbestos: Homes built before 1910 may not have original asbestos products, but later updates and modifications often introduced them. Look for vermiculite insulation and asbestos wrap around radiant hot water systems. Obviously, this is something that a trained professional should be looking for. This is why you hire a home inspector!
Insulation & windows: Single-pane windows, minimal wall insulation, (typically lath and plaster), and failing plaster finishes are common. These are generally easy to spot, so expect heat loss unless updates have been made.

Be informed and gain peace of mind

A well-maintained, updated home from this era can be magical. Just go in with eyes open and a thorough home inspection.

Homes Built Between 1920–1940: Quaint Character Homes

These slightly smaller, more modest homes appear throughout Oak Bay, the Gorge, Hillside, Fernwood, and Oaklands. They share many of the same concerns as pre-1920 homes:

Little to no exterior wall insulation
Outdated or absent perimeter drainage (often clay tile), and bad grading of the surrounding earth
Knob and tube wiring still present in many

A Note on Buried Oil Tanks (Pre-1960 Homes)

If a home was built before 1960, underground oil storage tanks are a real concern. Oil-fired heating became popular mid-century, and tanks were commonly buried to keep them out of sight. Over time, many have deteriorated and can leak, causing subsurface contamination.
What to do:

Always get an underground oil storage tank scan before purchasing any pre-1960 home.
Check with the local fire hall for records of past tank removal, but note that multiple tanks have been found on single properties, so a prior removal doesn’t guarantee there isn’t another.
If contamination is present, remediation can run into six figures. Even a clean tank removal costs $3,000–$6,000.

Homes Built Between 1940–1970: Post-War Bungalows

The post-war construction boom produced the thick, functional bungalows you’ll find around Saxe Point, Mount Tolmie, Camosun College, and along the Lansdowne slope. They’re practical, often well-built, and still very livable. But like the other homes, watch out for:

Aging plumbing: Clay tile perimeter drainage and cast iron sewer lines are common to this era
Buried oil tanks: Still a risk for homes built before 1960
Asbestos: Canada saw peak asbestos use from the 1950s to the 1980s. In this era, it commonly appears in drywall, ceiling texture, wall tape, mud compound, flooring, and adhesives. Non-friable asbestos products weren’t banned until 1986; all asbestos products weren’t fully banned in Canada until 2018.
Aluminum wiring: Used from approximately 1966 to 1975, aluminum wiring expands more than copper and is a fire and insurance hazard. Check whether your home has been pigtailed or fully converted to copper.

Homes Built Between 1970–1980: The BC Box Era

The 1970s gave Victoria some of its most distinctive residential architecture, the BC Boxes. West Coast modern designs in Broadmead, and post-and-beam homes in Gordon Head, Saanich, Esquimalt, and Langford fall into this category. These homes have great suite potential and strong bones, but watch for these important build practices.

Perimeter drainage: Deep concrete tile systems are now aging and prone to cracks and breakdowns
Flat/hidden roofs: Post-and-beam styles often feature Triton membrane roofs and hidden gutters which are expensive to replace and prone to water issues
Aluminum wiring: Still present up until approximately 1975
Exterior cladding: Stucco and wood siding from this era show more wear than earlier vintages; maintenance is critical
Asbestos: Remains a concern through to approximately 1990, particularly in drywall mud and tape

A Note on Building Codes

Before 1973, local governments set their own building bylaws. Since then, the provincial government has controlled the building code adopting the National Building Code through the 1970s and 80s, then evolving into today’s BC Building Code. Improved standards mean safer, greener, and more efficient homes, but they also mean more regulated (and more expensive) construction.

Homes Built Between 1990–Early 2000s: The “Lima Bean” Era

This era was not the most architecturally exciting time to build homes. These two-story slab-on-grade homes can look more dated than homes built decades earlier. However, they’re functional, spacious, and widely available in Saanich, Broadmead, Royal Oak, View Royal, and Langford. The main issues with these homes are as follows.

Polybutylene (Poly B) plumbing: Used heavily from 1985 to 1997 and removed from the plumbing code in the mid-2000s. This plastic piping is prone to leaks and can significantly increase insurance premiums. At minimum, ensure it has copper fittings.
T-lock roofing shingles: This shingle type was discontinued in the early 2000s. If they’re still on the roof, replacement is overdue and this is at least $15,000-$20,000 to replace.

Homes Built Between 2006–Present: Modern Home Construction

The 2006 BC Building Code update introduced the rain screen (capillary brake), which was a crucial fix after widespread leaky condo problems in Vancouver and Victoria caused by inadequate building envelope protection. Homes built after 2006 benefit from this and other modern standards, avoiding most of the hazardous materials found in older building eras.

That said, new doesn’t mean perfect. A home inspection is always worth it, regardless of age. Do not sleep on the home inspection just to save a few dollars on your purchase.

So, You’re Still Thinking of Buying an Older Home in Victoria

Victoria’s housing market offers something for everyone, from century-old character homes to modern infill custom builds. No matter what the build era, every home has potential trade-offs. The key is knowing what you’re looking at.

Work with a knowledgeable realtor, hire a qualified home inspector, and don’t skip the specialist scans (oil tanks, drainage, electrical). With the right due diligence, you can find a home that’s as charming on the inside as it looks from the street.