Interior

• Basement-should be clean; no cracks in walls; a floor drain in lowest part; "healthy" looking wooden joists (a minimum of splitting); instructions and warranty cards for equipment (furnace, heater, HRV, etc.)
• Doors-must be well-fitted and well-hung; secure locks for outside doors and door stops.
• Windows-must open smoothly; lockable.
• Walls-should be smooth and even; no cracks, visible seams or nail-pops; right colour; even paint coverage; no gaps at electrical switches and plugs.
• Floors-minimum of squeaks and "spring"; smooth seams on carpet and other floor covering; even grouting between ceramic tiles.
• Plumbing fixtures-no chips or scratches; faucets operating properly; caulking around counter tops and fixtures.
• Upgrades and options-correct materials and quality; proper installation; right colours.
• General state of cleanliness-no construction debris; clean heating ducts; etc.

You might want to hire a private building inspector or engineer to conduct inspection for you. Look in phone book under Building Inspection Services.

Keeping a chest inside of beach paraphernalia - floats, leis, sunglasses, and even a pirate’s eye patch will keep your children entertained as you try to prepare dinner.

You can also have a country theme on your deck. My great-aunt has this huge covered deck and on it she uses old barrels as side tables and chairs; for chairs part of barrel is cut for back and previous top of barrel as nailed down as seat. There’s kind of a country atmosphere there with added touches of old Pepsi bottles, signs, and tools hanging on wall as well as flowers hanging from every corner of roof.

Whatever theme you decide to use on your deck, essentials are a table and chairs with some extra seating and side tables. If your deck is too small for that, you can simply purchase a couple of Adirondack chairs and side tables to match. Your parties may be smaller, but you can always put a picnic table in yard to seat more people. Choose your own theme; a deck is a place where you can put your favorite random items to good use. So from Coca-Cola to country to classic, create your own deck decorations and spend rest of summer enjoying your friends on your jazzy new deck.

And no one will care if it's not an official Veranda.