When the snowbanks finally shrink and the red mud season arrives, it is time to see how your house came through the winter. Island winters bring freeze and thaw, wind off the water and plenty of moisture, so a spring walk-around is one of the best habits a homeowner can build. Here is the list I use myself and share with clients, whether they plan to stay for years or sell this season.

Start outside: the roof and gutters

You don't need to climb a ladder to learn a lot. From the ground, with binoculars if you have them, look for:

• Missing, lifted or curled shingles, especially on the windward side
• Damaged flashing around the chimney and vents
• Gutters that sag, pulled away from the fascia, or are packed with debris
• Downspouts that are disconnected or dump water right against the foundation

If you saw ice dams over the winter, pay extra attention to the ceiling and walls inside directly below those spots.

Check the ground around your foundation

Water is the enemy of a basement. As the frost leaves the ground, walk the perimeter and check that soil slopes away from the house. Snow piles from the winter can leave low spots. Top them up with soil so meltwater and spring rain drain away.

Look at the foundation itself for new cracks or crumbling. Hairline cracks are common, but anything new, wide or letting water in deserves a professional opinion.

Head to the basement

Spring is when moisture problems show themselves. Look and sniff for:

• Damp spots or white, chalky deposits on concrete walls
• A musty smell
• Water stains near windows or where pipes enter

If you have a sump pump, test it by pouring a bucket of water into the pit and making sure it kicks on and discharges well away from the house.

Heating and cooling systems

After working hard all winter, your heating system deserves a little care.

• Oil furnaces and boilers are usually serviced once a year. If you have not booked yours, spring is a fine time, before service companies get busy in the fall.
• Heat pumps need clean filters and a clear outdoor unit. Remove any debris, leaves or packed snow that built up around the base.
• Wood stoves benefit from a chimney cleaning at the end of the burning season, rather than waiting until fall.

Windows, doors and siding

Run your hand around window and door frames on a breezy day. If you feel a draft you didn't notice in January, check the caulking and weatherstripping. Look at siding for loose pieces after winter winds, and at wood trim for peeling paint or soft spots that may need attention before summer.

Decks, steps and railings

Frost can heave deck posts and loosen steps. Push on railings, check that stairs are level, and look for boards that are cracked or soft. Fix anything wobbly before the barbecue season brings company over.

Well and septic, for rural homes

Spring melt is a good reminder to look at what's below the surface. Make sure surface water is not pooling around the well casing, and that the well cap is secure. For septic systems, notice any soggy ground or odours over the field. If it has been a while since the tank was pumped, book it. My home inspection checklist includes a fuller list of well and septic signs worth knowing.

Inside, a quick safety round

• Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and replace batteries
• Check the dryer vent for lint build-up
• Look under sinks for slow drips
• Check your attic, if accessible, for signs of moisture or animals that moved in for the winter

Keep notes and receipts

Whatever you find, write it down and keep the receipts for any work you have done. A simple folder of maintenance records is useful for insurance, and it is gold if you ever sell. Buyers love seeing that a home has been looked after.

Thinking of selling this year?

Spring maintenance is also smart pre-listing prep. Small repairs done now can mean fewer items flagged on a buyer's inspection later. For more on getting a home market-ready, see my tips on selling your home fast in PEI.

If you are curious where your home's value sits after the winter, I can put together a free estimate through my PEI home evaluation page. Reach out to Jodi Bernard, CENTURY 21 Northumberland Realty, whenever you'd like to talk about your plans for the season.

Every spring I hear from people who have found the perfect piece of land, maybe a field near Kinkora with a view of rolling farmland or a lot tucked off a quiet road near Long River, and they want to know how to go from bare ground to a finished home. The answer starts long before the excavator shows up. Here is how the permit side of building works on the Island, in plain language.

Two permits, not one

In almost every case, you need both a Development Permit and a Building Permit before construction can start.

• Development Permit. This one deals with land use and how the building sits on the lot. It is issued under the provincial Planning Act. Setbacks, servicing and placement all come into play here.
• Building Permit. This confirms the structure is designed and built to code. It is issued under the provincial Building Codes Act.

The Province adopted Tier 1 of the 2020 National Model Codes effective March 31, 2024, including the 2020 National Building Code of Canada and the 2020 National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings. Your builder or designer should be working to those standards.

Who issues the permits depends on where the lot is

This is where location really matters.

• If the land is outside a municipality, or inside a municipality that has no official plan and land-use bylaws, you apply to the Province's Land Division for both permits.
• If the municipality has an official plan and bylaws, it issues the Development Permit. You still apply to the Province for the Building Permit.
• Charlottetown, Stratford and Summerside issue both their own Development and Building Permits.

The Province has a Municipal Boundaries Map you can use to check whether a community has an official plan. When I show land, this is one of the first things I look up, because it tells us who you will be dealing with.

Questions to answer before you buy the lot

The smartest time to think about permits is before you own the land. A few things I encourage buyers to check:

• Is it an approved building lot? If a parcel still needs to be subdivided, or its use needs to change, there is a separate subdivision or change of use application that comes first.
• How will water and sewage work? Most rural lots need a private well and septic system. The Province's development permit package includes setback information for sewage disposal systems, and a site assessment by a qualified professional is part of planning a septic. If you are on a well, my guide to well water testing on PEI explains what to test once you have water.
• Is there road access and a civic address? A lot on a private lane can raise questions about access and winter maintenance.
• Are there wetlands, watercourses or coastal setbacks? These can shrink the area you can actually build on.
• Are you a non-resident? Larger parcels and shore frontage can bring the Lands Protection Act into play. You can read more in my plain-language summary of the Lands Protection Act.

Many of these can be written into your offer as conditions, so you are not locked in until you are comfortable.

What goes into the applications

The provincial Building Permit application asks for a set of plans: foundation, elevations, floor plans, cross-sections and a site plan, with truss or framing details required before the framing inspection. It also asks for property details such as the property tax number and civic address. Incomplete applications are returned, so it pays to have your builder help assemble the package.

Provincial applications can be submitted at Land Division offices in Charlottetown, O'Leary, Summerside and Montague. The Province also offers one-on-one meetings with staff, virtually or in person, to help with submissions. If you are building in Prince County, the Summerside office is handy.

Don't start early

The Province is clear on this: construction can only begin after you have received your Development and Building Permits. That includes site work done in preparation for construction. It can be tempting to get a head start when the weather is good, but starting without permits can create costly problems.

Once you have applied, you can check the status of a provincial application online using your PID and the date your fee was paid.

A realistic timeline mindset

I won't guess at processing times, because they change with the season and the volume of applications. What I can say is that PEI's building season is short enough that planning in winter for a spring or summer start is a good habit. Lining up your designer, builder and septic professional early gives you the best chance of breaking ground when you want to.

Ready to look at land?

If you are dreaming of building, start by browsing PEI land and building lots, then let's talk about which parcels fit your plans. Contact Jodi Bernard, CENTURY 21 Northumberland Realty, so we can work through the permit questions together before you buy.