Marketplace

Grow-Op Cover Up (37x1)

: 08, 2010

Looking for a new home? Most people call up a home inspector to check it out. It may look like a nice home in a nice neighbourhood, but it could it be hiding big secrets. As Erica Johnson reveals, many Canadians are buying patched-up houses that disguise evidence that they were former grow-ops. If not properly cleaned up, it can lead to six-figure repair bills, like mold, structural and electrical problems. In some cities, when police bust a grow-op, they contact the municipality to make sure it's cleaned up before it goes to market. But our research reveals that doesn't happen across the country. And even when it does, it doesn't always protect consumers. Most grow operations go undetected by police. So we team up with contractor Mike Holmes to put home inspectors to the test. Will they spot the glaring signs of a former grow-op?