Divorce and Real Estate Divorce is not easy, and it gets more complicated when the separating spouses own real estate together. Between dealing with excluded property, figuring out how to factor in the fair market value when dividing family property, and managing new mortgage payments, the added stress can feel overwhelming. Spouses separate for a variety of reasons but the following is a good look at what to expect when you divide family property during a divorce. How to value your home in a divorce? When it comes to the value of a marital home in a divorce, each situation is unique. Generally speaking, if the home is owned by both spouses as joint tenants or tenants in common, then its value will be divided equally. If only one spouse owns the home, that spouse will be entitled to the entire value of the property. Depending on the terms of the divorce settlement, your may end up in a situation where you divide property in a different fashion. When one spouse takes on financial compensation while the other spouse retains ownership of the entire house. If, at the start of the relationship, there was a marriage contract or cohabitation agreement (in the case of a common-law relationship) about how assets would be divided then both you and your ex-spouse will have to abide by the terms of that contract, exceptional circumstances notwithstanding. If no such agreements were made and one partner or both feel like the division of assets is unfair then it can go to divorce court. At this point, a court would only divide marital assets unequally if it was deemed that it would be "significantly unfair" for the assets to be shared equally. What are the differences for common law couples? A common law relationship is a marriage-like relationship but without the legal protections that come with marriage. This means that when a common-law couple separates, they are treated as two individuals who were never in a relationship. This can have serious implications for couples who have been living together for many years and have amassed significant assets jointly. In a situation where a common-law couple separates, each individual is entitled to one-half of the value of any asset that was acquired during the relationship. This can be a major problem if, for example, the couple owns their home together. If you are in a common-law relationship and are considering separation, it is important to get legal advice right away to protect your interests. What happens to the mortgage when you get divorced? Most of the time, a home is bought on the real estate market with a mortgage. It's a long commitment that involves a significant amount of money. It's common for married people to pool their resources to afford the mortgage and that makes them both legally responsible in the eyes of the lender. Divorcing couples need to be clear about what will happen to their mortgage after the divorce. If you are leaving the house to your ex-partner, for example, you both need to get in touch with the lender to clarify the situation with them. In BC for example, even if the matrimonial home is not in your name, it is considered family property. The associated debt with regard to that property, family debt, is something shared by both spouses. In the case of a joint mortgage, you have a few options. You could sell the house and use the proceeds to pay off mortgage pre-payment penalties then divide up what's left. Your former spouse could take over the home and refinance the mortgage by taking into account child support payments and new mortgage rates. When bringing up these issues to your lender have a separation agreement ready with a clear separation date. If the appraised value of the home goes down significantly or if the house does not have much equity in it, then you may have no other choice but to keep the house until it builds up enough equity to sell. If you are unsure of the full value of the home or how you compare to a divorcing couple if your relationship is considered common law, then it's time to look into lawyers specializing in family law. Even with all the goodwill in the world, the divorce process can make one party's judgement clouded to the long-term ramifications of some agreements. What about excluded property? Excluded property is property bought before the start of the marriage or the common-law relationship. This property escapes the definition of family property but it needs to be proven by the spouse making the claim. As opposed to family property where both parties are equally responsible, exclusive possession means that only one person is entitled to the home. This can lead to what can seem like an unequal division of assets. Depending on the circumstances of the divorce, other assets can be used to satisfy the needs of one party without touching the house. When is the best time to sell a home during a divorce? There is no definitive answer to this question, as the best time to sell a home during a divorce will vary depending on the specific circumstances of each case. However, there are some things to consider when making this decision. One important factor to consider is how divided the home will be after the divorce. If one spouse is keeping the home and the other is moving out, then it may make sense to sell sooner rather than later. This is especially true if the spouse who is leaving needs to move quickly and does not have the time or resources to wait for the home to sell. Another factor to consider is the market conditions. If the housing market is strong, it may make sense to sell sooner to maximize the profits from the sale. However, if the market is weak or uncertain, it may be wiser to wait until conditions improve. Can you buy or sell a home before or during a divorce? This is something you have to be very careful with since, if you have joint accounts, the new home may complicate matters. Assuming you are the spouse who is leaving, buying a home before the divorce is finalized can be a way to ensure you have a place to live. It also gives you some security in case things do not go your way during the divorce. However, this is not advised in most cases. It's often a better call to wait until you and your former spouse are considered separate legal entities - decoupling your joint accounts and debts - before buying a new piece of property. You will not know the true state of your finances until after the divorce is done. It is important to speak with a lawyer before making any decisions about buying a house or not. It may be complicated to get financing as well until the issues with your joint property and its associated mortgage are resolved. However, getting in touch with a real estate agent early on is a good idea, if only to get the ball rolling.   View All Homes For Sale in Greater Vancouver >>> About Search Home Listings SearchHomeListings.ca has simplified the home buying and selling process by giving you superior tools with up-to-the-minute information including active homes for sale, sold homes, market reports, and a home valuation tool! We have a team of success managers on standby to support you with setting up your saved home search and agents ready to take you out on a tour. Tap into our industry experts from inspectors, to contractors to interior designers to provide you with the best prices and service possible. Everyone attached to our website has been rigorously vetted and is made up of caring, knowledgeable professionals that work tirelessly to help you to make your home buying experience as stress-free as possible. Contact us today to see how we can help!  Sites We Follow Google Facebook Twitter

4 Easy Ways To Tell if a Property is Overpriced. Given real estate market trends, a question that's becoming more and more common is "how can I tell if a house is overpriced?" and it's a fair one. As a prospective buyer, one thing you want to be wary of is the danger of overpriced homes. It's a catastrophic error to just match or exceed the asking price and hope for the best. Even if you have the disposable income to shrug off a high mortgage monthly payment when it comes time to sell the home you can encounter a nasty surprise. No buyer is ever going to waltz into a home after seeing a for sale sign and make an offer matching the list price but sometimes it becomes complicated to figure out if you're walking into an overpriced home or if the fair market value in your local real estate market is vastly different from your expectations. For most buyers, determining if a home is overpriced takes a massive amount of time and research - or the help of a real estate agent. But before you scoop up one of those, here are 5 things to consider to determine if a home is overpriced. Look at the recent sales in the area. Real estate agents will continuously perform a comparative market analysis for the neighbourhoods they operate in. Any top real estate agent will be able to tell at a glance if a home is priced correctly or not based on a few factors, most importantly the location. What is a comparable home though? In the broad strokes, it means a home that is about the same size and in a similar area (if not the same area). Recently sold homes in the same area of the home you're looking at can reveal a pattern. If similar houses are selling for a lot less than the listing price then you know that something is off. Without any other supporting information then it's hard to make the call because the house you are looking at could be priced higher because of a great heated indoor pool or a home theatre but if you can't find a good reason in the listing that warrants the discrepancy, then it won't be too much of a leap to say that the home is overpriced. The seller is not using an agent. It's human nature to think highly of the home we lived in. Any offer that comes in can seem like a low-ball offer. Many sellers tend to go without a real estate agent because they think that they can save money by removing the agent's commission from the costs. The truth is more complicated. For a home, overpriced is a complicated word but for a house it's different. Real estate agents determine a house's selling price based on several objective factors. Home sellers without an agent are likely to post a higher price because they overestimate the home in current market conditions. A listing agent can help them determine what low ball offers would look like based on an objective home value but in the absence of a real estate agent, there's a good chance the home is overpriced. If looking into recent comparable sales did not yield any firm guesses, then this is another thing you can take into account to gauge if the home is overpriced. Home selling is a deeply emotional process for many owners, don't underestimate the impact that this can have. The state of the home doesn't match that of other comparable homes. The location could be great, the seller could be using a real estate agent, but the asking price could still not match what the house is worth. Open houses will give you a great idea of what houses in your budget are like beyond the curb appeal and a few pictures. While a property might look great on paper there are things all responsible buyers should do when they suspect a home is not priced correctly and that is a walk around the home. You can arrange a private showing if you are very interested to look into the condition of the house. It's always worth doing a home inspection but if you can spot some critical issues that the seller cannot or will not address before moving forward then you can save yourself a whole lot of time and effort. If the house was built around the same time as others in the neighbourhood but hasn't been maintained as well, then most agents would try to negotiate to bring the price down to a reasonable level. It's always a good idea to ask the agent or the homeowners if they are planning or open to doing some repairs before the home is sold. There's nothing wrong with voicing your concerns, especially with a big purchase like a house. It's been on the market for a long time. This one should ring the alarm bells. If a home spends too many days on the market, it's a signal that the prospective buyers need to pay extra attention. You might think that more days on the market means maximum real estate exposure to more clients for better offers. That's not the case. A good home, correctly priced and in a good location, will get sold almost immediately. The average DOM, days on market, for a home in Toronto is barely over a week long. If a property is spending double or triple the average days on market and is still unsold then that could reveal some big issues. Being overpriced is one of the biggest issues that could leave a house on the market for that long, however, there could be other factors. Difficult sellers or the demand to remove some conditions on incoming offers could also be hampering the sale. To make one thing clear: a real estate agent is absolutely required to tell you about big issues regarding the home, even if they were hired by the seller. If there's something left unsaid then it would be best to talk to your own agent to figure out the best course of action. What do you do when you think a home is overpriced? There are a few things you can do if you think a home is overpriced. You could offer the seller a lower price, or you could try to negotiate a lower price. If the seller won't lower the price, you could look for another home. Be careful though because low-ball offers can backfire if the sellers are very attached to the home and are not in a hurry to sell. You could also wait for the seller to lower the price. Some sellers will lower the price if they don't think they will sell the home at the current price. This could be a better option than sending in a low offer or deciding to just bite the bullet and pay top dollar but be aware that this means you will have a lot more competition. If you can sniff out the reason why the home is overpriced then you could potentially find a way to work with the seller to make things work out in favour of both parties. A conversation can't hurt but before doing any of those things, the first thing to do is to check in with your agent. They can give you the guidance you need to see if it's worth sticking around or if there are other options available to you.   View All Homes For Sale in Greater Vancouver >>> About Search Home Listings SearchHomeListings.ca has simplified the home buying and selling process by giving you superior tools with up-to-the-minute information including active homes for sale, sold homes, market reports, and a home valuation tool! We have a team of success managers on standby to support you with setting up your saved home search and agents ready to take you out on a tour. Tap into our industry experts from inspectors, to contractors to interior designers to provide you with the best prices and service possible. Everyone attached to our website has been rigorously vetted and is made up of caring, knowledgeable professionals that work tirelessly to help you to make your home buying experience as stress-free as possible. Contact us today to see how we can help!  Sites We Follow Google Facebook Twitter

6 At-Home Recycling Tips. Even though it's tiny compared to big companies, there are still ways to reduce the size of your carbon footprint. It's not just good for the environment, it can help you save some money at the same time too. Recycling, repurposing, and reusing isn't something that takes a lot of energy or time either so read on for some tips on how you can save some extra money while making the most of what you have at home. Repurpose old clothes. Old t-shirts are things we have since the day we are old enough to clothe ourselves. They appear out of nowhere after a deep clean of your drawers, they materialize out of old relationships in silence, or you just stare at them one day wondering where they had gone for a few years. They're not all fit to wear. All the branded goodies from corporate retreats or received from giveaways eventually get worn out as pyjamas. Sometimes a t-shirt snags in a doorway and becomes unwearable. Instead of letting old clothing take up closet space, how about finding a better use for it? Nothing in life is free but an old t-shirt turned into a dust rag can feel like it. You can turn a single t-shirt into three dust rags or more or different sizes. If you don't mind them being a little ragged, this can be done with a knife (pointing away from you at all times) and within a minute but if you want something neater then a pair of fabric scissors will go a long way. You can turn more things into cleaning rags like old towels or even an old pillowcase. They're reusable, machine washable, and just like old t-shirts, you'll always have a good supply of them - somehow. The idea here isn't just to not throw things away but to reduce waste throughout the supply chain by not buying things that you can easily make yourself. By repurposing old clothing you're preventing the use of fuel, water, and other materials needed in the creation, shipping, and selling of the products. There's also the not-so-obvious tip for the not-so-crafty to turn old clothes you don't wear anymore into new clothes. This can take some experimentation for your first time but you can turn an old t-shirt for a grown adult into a dress for a kid. You can also turn old jeans that don't fit anymore into jean shorts - just look up a video on YouTube before you get started, many people cut higher up than needed for the final length. Store rainwater - and use it. When life gives you free water, don't waste it. If you have a yard then setting up a simple barrel to collect water on rainy days can help you so much whether you're a burgeoning gardener or an old (green) hand. Rain collection is one o the most economical ways of watering plants in the long run. You can watch your water bill deflate as your plants continue to flourish. You don't even need a full barrel in a vast yard. If all you have are small plants that hang on your small balcony then you can set up a little receptacle on the same balcony to trap some water. Be sure to empty out the containers and use up the water when you can. Several days' worth of water is enough for bugs to get comfy. While some insects are essential, you don't need a cockroach infestation to prove how green you are. Recycle what you can. The obvious one. The timeless classic. The one people get wrong. Glass bottles, sandwich bags, old furniture - three things that need vastly different recycling methods. The state of plastic these days is alarming where plastics are on pace to outnumber the number of fish in the ocean. Before getting to the point where you need to recycle the plastic, find a way to not use it in the first place. It's the small things that will add up. Grocery bags don't always have to be plastic bags; a great way to re-purpose old clothes is to turn them into bags. You will need to wash them thoroughly, not with the collected rain, and get crafty with how you cut and sow but it's doable! Not all plastics are made equal and while it's tempting to just throw some of it in the trash, separating out recyclable materials can make a huge difference. A little research goes a very long way because different cities might have different guidelines. What should you not recycle? One of the most important at-home recycling tips is that if you're going to put things in recycling bins, they need to be rinsed out and free of residue. Given that paper is biodegradable and, well, paper, don't try and wash out paper-based food wrapping for example. Spend your time instead on cleaning out things like a jar of peanut butter before putting it in the recycling bin. Bonus tip: before you start cleaning out the jar, fill it with ice cream and mix it around the jar. You get the patches of peanut butter you couldn't reach before because of the jar's shape and you get to eat a delicious ice cream and peanut butter combination too. If you have multiple jars then it's time to invite your friends for a movie night to complete the experience. Pizza boxes are often a point of confusion because of the material they're made of but they do obey the same rule as plastic. They tend to be covered on the inside with grease and cheese and other organic waste. These can form bacteria and contaminate other recyclables in the bin. The solution then is to flatten the boxes as best you can and stuff them in the trash bin. Create your own compost. You can turn food scraps into fertilizer for plants, flowers and trees around the house. Even if you live in a small space, you can set up a system for composting that uses a few containers, a plastic box can work, to collect organic waste material so that you can boost your plants' growth. When you're using a container be sure to poke holes in the bottom so that the compost can "breathe." How to optimize your compost. A layer of soil on top will help keep the moisture in - and increase the chances of attracting earthworms, which are a good sign for your compost pile. If you're using a pile method, make sure to turn it over every week or so and add a bed of brown materials (leaves, twigs) to balance out the green materials (fruit and vegetable scraps). One of the best ways to make sure you're composting properly is to have a mix of "green" materials (fresh) and "brown" materials (dry). Green materials provide nitrogen while browns give carbon, so try to have a good balance when you're collecting scraps. You don't need loads to make your garden resplendent and booming with life and it will help you fully use up some of the kitchen and gardening waste you create. It's almost like recycled food - but let's not say that because it sounds terrible. Donating is underrated. One of the big issues the world is dealing with is the amount of stuff being thrown into landfills. You've no doubt seen pictures of seagulls over an ocean of garbage or read an article about how a plastic bag takes hundreds of years to degrade even in those conditions. What you might think is trash, like old furniture missing a leg or a broken set of rollerblades, can be an amazing opportunity for other people. Woodworking amateurs or kids looking for a cheap entry-point into a sport they might love could make use of things you think are useless. People often think of clothes first when it comes to donating - there are only so many t-shirts you can turn into rags at once - but there are many other things that can work too. Collect glass bottles, weird-looking but clean jars, or even quirky but unloved containers or boxes - these can be used for craft projects for kids. Donating is a solution that benefits everyone but it's important to understand that donating is not just offloading things. After you create a list of the things you could donate, get in touch with a local charity to ask what they could use. Don't limit yourself to charities or non-profits. Ask your friends and family if they have any need for some of the things you don't need anymore. One great way to recycle a glass bottle is by turning it into a painted piece of art. A pillowcase can make for a great Halloween costume base. Before you toss something in the trash, think of the uses for it and if you can't figure it out, look beyond the room you're in and think of the people in your life who could make use of it. Compound your recycling. If you're using old clothes to create cleaning rags, why not take an old plastic container and turn it into a rag dispenser? You can cut out part of the bottom, hang it from a hook and you have a recycled way to store your recycled cleaning rags. Are you keeping all the plastic bags you ended up with? Why not store it in a bigger plastic bag? If you have a lot of plastic bags, you can use them to store other recyclable materials like newspapers. Newspaper takes up a lot less space when it's compressed and if it's wet, the ink will run - something you don't want to happen when you're trying to recycle it. When it comes time to take your recycling to the curb, you can just gather it all up in one big bag and go. There are many ways to recycle and reuse the things you would normally just throw away. By composting, donating, or compound recycling, you can help make a difference for the environment without too much effort.   View All Homes For Sale in Greater Vancouver >>> About Search Home Listings SearchHomeListings.ca has simplified the home buying and selling process by giving you superior tools with up-to-the-minute information including active homes for sale, sold homes, market reports, and a home valuation tool! We have a team of success managers on standby to support you with setting up your saved home search and agents ready to take you out on a tour. Tap into our industry experts from inspectors, to contractors to interior designers to provide you with the best prices and service possible. Everyone attached to our website has been rigorously vetted and is made up of caring, knowledgeable professionals that work tirelessly to help you to make your home buying experience as stress-free as possible. Contact us today to see how we can help!  Sites We Follow Google Facebook Twitter

How To Make Your Home Cozy For The Winter. Your HVAC system works fine, you're not overspending on your energy bills, and your light bulbs all work fine. So how do you make your home the ultimate cozy space during the winter? Creating a cozy home is more than just warm air, so keep reading for some ideas on how to stay cozy at home, winter ideas edition. Add plants indoors to keep the air fresh and clean. Whether you have a green thumb or need to resort to some faux greenery, plants add texture to a room. They give a room a cozy feeling by softening the hard lines of furniture and adding a touch of life. In the colder months it can be harder to keep plants looking healthy but it's not impossible. Keeping your house warm against the cold weather is something both you and your plants will appreciate. Proper insulation, lots of warm natural light, and some care will go a long way. Adding natural elements to your interior will not automatically help you stay warm in terms of temperature but it will help with the feeling of warmth that comes with a home. Plus, plants help to clean the air by removing toxins. Despite the lack of leaves on the trees too, the signs of life inside can help your mood as well. It's best to put plants in places where you spend a lot of time like the living room or the kitchen so that you get the most benefits from them. While fake plants won't require the same upkeep, they can still create a cozy atmosphere when placed judiciously. Add a throw blanket in the most used rooms. A throw blanket is an easy way to make a space feel cozy. Throw blankets dispersed all around the house can provide some extra warmth when temperatures shift unexpectedly. Having something soft and warm within arm's reach will make any room feel cozier. It doesn't matter if you have a small studio apartment or a six-bedroom mansion, a warm blanket goes a long way. Sometimes people will forget to close windows, it happens, and making your way through that stream of cold air is a lot more bearable with something draped around your shoulders. Use rugs, plenty of them. Hardwood floors are great with how they retain heat but not everyone has those. While carpet is nice to have in some rooms, in a bathroom a carpet is a disastrous choice. If you like to walk bare feet in your home in the winter months, soft rugs can make a home feel cozier all throughout the day and night. Area rugs in the home office make a massive difference to your morale, for example. No one wants to walk on a cold floor for any amount of time, especially in their own home. Add heavy drapes. This is more of a long-term solution but using heavier fabric in the winter, combined with some bold warm colours, does a lot to create a comfy feeling. The thin white curtains that you use during the summer are great then to give the room more air and space but in the winter, even just the visual plushness of the heavier drapes will help to make your home feel warm. That some of them come with a thermal lining is a huge bonus too. Also, as a bonus, if you have old windows you forget to take a look at before the winter, the heavy drapes can buy you some comfort while you wait for repairs. They will retain the hot air inside the home a lot better than curtains. Use different lights. Since it's darker sooner in the winter, we are very sensitive to light. Light has therapeutic benefits and getting enough of it in your daily life is essential. But that doesn't mean sharp harsh light all the time is a good idea. Warm white lights from floor lamps instead of harsh overhead lights add an extra layer of coziness to any room. More subdued, with some dark areas can help your ease relax after hours spent in front of a computer screen. Essentially, you want to try and emulate candlelight as much as possible with the risk of molten wax on your coffee table. Use different lighting sources to create extra layers of half-light to achieve a warm feeling throughout the house. If you like them or have children, you can even set up string lights in some areas. They liven up places like reading nooks and, when used right, can create a great romantic atmosphere. Using less light also means you get to save money on your hydro bill. Of course, living in the dark is far from cozy, so it's a balancing act. Use scented candles or automatic air fresheners for an inviting atmosphere. When you walk through your front door, soft lights and a blanket within reach are great but a warm comforting scent elevates your whole experience. It's a terrible idea, and a fire hazard, to just leave candles burning all day long. Still, during the winter when you need to keep your windows closed so that you keep all the warm air inside, it can feel like you're stuck in a box. Your HVAC system might be doing a great job but the scent of lavender or mandarins can help you quickly forget the snow and slush. If you have ceiling fans, set them on the lowest setting and place the automatic air fresheners near them - this will make it easier for you to feel the effects without turning the setting on the dispenser too high. The extras. The world doesn't need more magazines, it needs more pillows. It's time to give throw pillows credit. In the colder months, plopping down on the couch after a long day and using the pillows to make yourself snug while unwinding is unparalleled. Though it can make it hard to get out of bed in the morning, investing in good cotton flannel or fleece bedding will create a cozy bed beyond belief. Try to pick items that will add texture to your house. A nice warm white decor can feel like a cloud at sunset but adding some patterns or different materials can make a big difference in terms of comfort. Even if you're only seeing it, you can instinctively tell what something feels like to the touch. Knit items like pillows or throws create a homey feel. The general guiding principle. You don't need to be an interior designer to find something that will make your home cozy during the winter months. Whether it's the living room, the bedroom, or the rest of the house, go towards things that give you a warm feeling of belonging. Aim for tactile feeling first, just because something looks good doesn't mean that it will give your space a feeling of warmth and comfort. It's not just about keeping a house warm in the winter, it's about making the blankets and the warm floor feel like home.     View All Homes For Sale in Greater Vancouver >>> About Search Home Listings SearchHomeListings.ca has simplified the home buying and selling process by giving you superior tools with up-to-the-minute information including active homes for sale, sold homes, market reports, and a home valuation tool! We have a team of success managers on standby to support you with setting up your saved home search and agents ready to take you out on a tour. Tap into our industry experts from inspectors, to contractors to interior designers to provide you with the best prices and service possible. Everyone attached to our website has been rigorously vetted and is made up of caring, knowledgeable professionals that work tirelessly to help you to make your home buying experience as stress-free as possible. Contact us today to see how we can help!  Sites We Follow Google Facebook Twitter

3 Tips to Reduce Stress and Prepare for a Successful Home Sale A lot of people talk about the stress of selling a house but not many take into account what goes through the heads of people selling their homes. So let's break down some of what can cause some of that stress and figure out how to get past it. Will my home sell for enough? This is a common question for many home sellers. It's anxiety-inducing to let go of your home when you're not sure of how the housing market will value your home. The first thing you need to make clear is the definition of "enough." Is it an amount that will be used to fund the mortgage and downpayment for a new house? Is it the price of a renovation or is it just to alleviate some financial stress? In a seller's market, a local market where the seller has the bargaining over the buyer because of a low supply and high demand for houses, the list price will be one that favours the seller. In that type of market, it's easier to get what your home is worth but evaluating that amount can be really complicated. Beyond things like the price you bought it at and inflation, there are a ton of other factors that come into play. The resale value of your home might be a lot lower or higher than what you think. Being in the dark about this will leave you feeling stressed more than anything else. How do you find out what your home will sell for? One way to find out how much your house is worth is by looking at recent sales of houses that are similar to yours. This will give you a good idea of what your home might sell for but it will still be very inaccurate. It's the equivalent of using an online calculator. It will give you a ballpark estimate but nothing beats talking to a real estate agent. Working with a real estate professional so that they can determine the value of the property accurately is the best way for you to know what the right buyer will be willing to pay. Sellers without agents tend to forget to include a lot of factors when it comes to determining the right price for the home. The renovations you've done over the years, new developments around the neighbourhood, or zoning changes nearby could have major effects on the asking price. Do I need to make changes before selling? After you've lived in a home for a while, some concerns or problem areas are things you make do with, but during an open house or a home inspection, these are things that can be red flags. When you're confronted with the idea of selling your home, you can feel anxiety rushing through your veins and building up when you take a look around the home. Cracking paint, faulty light switches, stuck doors that you have to jostle to open - all of these can make the home selling process far more painful and stressful than it has to be. When putting your house on the market, you don't want to spend too much time selling. You want it to hit the market and sell quickly because, the longer it stays available, the more people will think there's a reason why no one is touching it. If you find out that you need to make repairs while you're selling that could work against you even if you're doing your due diligence then. How do I know what changes to make before selling? Before you even get in touch with an agent or initiate the sales process in any capacity, walk around your home like you were the buyer. Check behind paintings, inspect the ceiling, is the water pressure good enough? If you find things that you can fix easily and for not much, then go ahead. It doesn't stop there though. To set expectations correctly, it's a good idea to tell your real estate agent about the problem areas of your home. When selling a home, an agent will do their best to maximize their client's interests and that means presenting a great home to the potential buyers. The right agent will inquire about the roof, issues with wiring or previous water damage and ask a little about the history of the property. It's extremely important to be as honest as you can be to your agent. The last thing that you want is the buyer dealing with huge, unforeseen, repair costs shortly after buying. You can even be held legally responsible. No one wants to move into a new city with a new job and find out that their new home needs thousands in repairs that a regular home inspection could not have detected. Real estate agents cannot represent your home if it has glaring, important issues that need to be fixed. When selling a home, it's important not to lose sight of the people who will move in eventually because they are probably equally stressed out about the process. Home improvements and major repairs should be done well in advance of getting in touch with a real estate professional if you can help it. What if I'm stressed about open houses? That makes perfect sense. Although buyers nowadays can even go on a virtual tour, the idea of strangers walking through your home can be the part of the process that brings on the most anxiety. It's a common part of the home buying process, and one of the most important parts of the sale. It's normal to worry. The usual tips people give tend to go along the lines "keep the home clean," or "stash away personal items," and these make sense but here's another tip that can help you prepare your current home. Work on the home's curb appeal. Impress the prospective buyers before they even set foot in your home. Spend some time outside paying attention to your landscaping, the quality of the exterior paint job, and even your porch's decor. Many people tend to neglect their outdoors and the best thing to do when worry builds up is to take control of the things that you can manage and change. Instead of staying in a stressful state of mind about the money and the offers, working on improving the exterior aspects of your home before open houses can be a form of self-care in and of itself. The most important thing worth noting. Before moving companies get involved, before the real estate transaction gets started, before buyers get a pre-approval on their mortgage, the best thing you can do is clear your head. Don't let the process overwhelm you. Even in periods of low inventory and even when cash offers come in, it's a better idea to remain level-headed throughout the whole selling process. Stay interested and invested all the way through. Controlling your fear and your anxiety will go a long way to ensuring you come out of the sale and have made enough money, sold a house in a good state, and did so swiftly.     View All Homes For Sale in Greater Vancouver >>> About Search Home Listings SearchHomeListings.ca has simplified the home buying and selling process by giving you superior tools with up-to-the-minute information including active homes for sale, sold homes, market reports, and a home valuation tool! We have a team of success managers on standby to support you with setting up your saved home search and agents ready to take you out on a tour. Tap into our industry experts from inspectors, to contractors to interior designers to provide you with the best prices and service possible. Everyone attached to our website has been rigorously vetted and is made up of caring, knowledgeable professionals that work tirelessly to help you to make your home buying experience as stress-free as possible. 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Is a Semi-Detached Home Worth It? In Canada, our housing situation is all over the place. The pandemic created a bump in the cost of building materials and that bump is being passed all the way to people looking to buy homes. If it was only that our problem would be relatively simple, but when you take into account large companies buying up homes all over the country and creating upward pressure on all housing costs, things can seem rather dire. Townhouses and semi-detached homes are typically seen as great starter homes. These properties are, compared to a fully detached house, more affordable and still allow you to build equity for a future move. However, with how things are panning out lately, there is a legitimate question you need to ask yourself when looking at the average price of semi-detached properties or townhouses over fully-detached properties. Prospective buyers all across Canada need to think about this too. Is buying a semi-detached house too much of a gamble? What is a semi-detached home? Before we go any further, it's important to get some definitions out of the way. First, what are semi-detached houses? A semi-detached house is a type of housing that is shared between two families. Each family has its own unit, but the two units are attached to one another. This can be a great option for families who want to live close to one another but don't want to share a wall. The problem though is that unless both families are on the house hunt together and are willing and able to buy both sides of a semi-detached house then it means that the two homeowners won't know each other. Essentially, a semi-detached home is a single house that has been reflected along a wall creating two mirror images as individual units. What's the difference with a townhouse? Semi-detached houses have one shared wall, the metaphorical mirror between the two units. Townhouses on the other hand are flanked by both sides by other homes. A townhouse will basically have shared walls on either side. Sharing a wall is one thing but sharing more can quickly become annoying. Between the lack of privacy and the lack of a private backyard, a townhouse with a similar location as a semi-detached house will tend to be cheaper. Townhomes are a great opportunity to be closer to city centres compared to the average semi-detached house. Is the worth of semi-detached homes expected to go down? Here's the issue with the housing market of Canada in early 2022: massive uncertainty. We're waiting for a possible pop of a bubble but what would that mean to homeowners that took on a mortgage? Would the value of their home go down? On one hand, it's a good idea to build equity early on. On the other hand, no one wants to be under the water with their mortgage - meaning that their property is worth less than the mortgage payments reflect. The truth is that we don't know for sure. And it would not be a good idea to make a move based on a blanket prediction across Canada. Even across a single province, it may be a tough call. What should someone do if they are ready to move on up? It would be a cop-out to say that buying a single-family property like a detached home is better if you have the money because that's what most people would do if they had the budget for it. No connecting wall, more yard space, a dwelling that you can walk around in its entirety without running into your neighbour's Christmas decorations in May. Different housing types, whether we like to admit it or not, correspond to different budgets and lifestyles. The question many people are asking themselves is whether it's the right time to move on up to semi-detached houses. These people could be living in a condo, renting an apartment, or even looking to get out of their parent's home. That question is whether it's time to make the leap or not. More equity means a better chance to move on up to a better house down the line. In the grand scheme of things the cost savings of one common wall while retaining some privacy in the 'outer' parts of the home can be very enticing. If you have your heart set on moving out then you need to do two things before you reach out to an agent. The two things a prospective homeowner should do in a volatile housing market. Solidify your priorities. Do you need more space urgently? Would a townhouse do? Do you need a home that allows for renovations easily? How comfortable are you with neighbours making noise? How much can you sacrifice to squeeze into a good school district? Are tall homes a problem? If your real estate agent didn't ask those questions then you need to bring the answers to them asap. These are essential when you're trying to decide on what your move should look like. When making that list of priorities, rank them in terms of urgency. As in, ask yourself when these issues will become critical. Planning makes things go smoother, smooth means swift, and swift means money saved. Plan beyond the next move. If your current desire is to move to a semi-detached property, ask yourself if it is the wisest move once your mortgage is up. Think of the maintenance, the yard work, the structural limitations that make renovations a headache, and so on. That one wall separating the two units is not a simple separation, it comes with a lot of strings attached. Once the mortgage is paid off, is the equity you built going to be enough to help finance your next move? Semi-detached homes tend to be a stepping stone to something bigger, and something without a common wall - hopefully. In short, think of what you will do with the home once you are ready to move on to something else like a single-family home. It's a balancing act. Between time and money, buying a property solely to build equity is not a good idea unless you can shoulder the cost easily. For most people right now, with how uncertain things are, it will come down to how the area where you're planning to buy a home reacts to changes. If it's a robust market with a long history, an investment into a semi-detached home will be more likely to pay off in the future. On the other hand, if it seems risky even without factoring in the fact that we live in interesting times (to say the least), then it would be best to hold onto your capital or look into something different like a condo. If you plan to turn the house around and rent it, however, then it's a leap of faith that can start generating money far sooner thanks to things like Airbnb. The only issue would be the cost of turning such a home into something rentable and knowing where you will live in the meantime.   View All Homes For Sale in Greater Vancouver >>> About Search Home Listings SearchHomeListings.ca has simplified the home buying and selling process by giving you superior tools with up-to-the-minute information including active homes for sale, sold homes, market reports, and a home valuation tool! We have a team of success managers on standby to support you with setting up your saved home search and agents ready to take you out on a tour. Tap into our industry experts from inspectors, to contractors to interior designers to provide you with the best prices and service possible. Everyone attached to our website has been rigorously vetted and is made up of caring, knowledgeable professionals that work tirelessly to help you to make your home buying experience as stress-free as possible. 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How Rain Damages Your Home. A lot of people love rain. It's calming, it makes plants almost glow with greenery in the spring, and it's a great reason to curl up with a book in hand. But everyone hates wood rot, standing water, and mould growth. Every homeowner should be aware of how well their property deals with potential rain damage. Heavy rain should be something a well-maintained house can withstand with no issues but if it's been a long time since you last looked at whether your home is properly sealed to prevent water damage, it's time for a little catch-up session. Rain damage within the home. Mould. Rainwater can slowly build up within your walls even from a small leak. The reason why you don't want water entering your home, especially in places where you cannot see it, is that the ambient moisture creature is the perfect environment for mould growth. Mould is dangerous because it can cause respiratory problems and other health issues. If you have young kids or someone in the home with conditions like asthma, mould can create and worsen lasting health problems. Everyone is cautious after a flooding or a big issue with the roof but mould spreads fast even with just a little bit of water. Sagging ceilings. This is a crisis situation that will sometimes only reveal itself during heavy rains. Water leakage can build up in the ceiling boards and while that water may drain off somewhere else during light rainfall, heavy rains will cause a build-up. In extreme circumstances, the bubble created in the ceiling will grow and grow until it bursts. No one wants to clean that up. It's a mess of debris, stagnant water, and bits and pieces of whatever ended up stuck there. If tackled early, sagging ceilings can be dealt with to prevent costly damages in the future. They're alarm bells that water leaks might be impacting your home in ways you didn't envision. Bugs love stagnant water. Stagnant water is a breeding ground for all sorts of bugs, so it's important to take care of any water leakage immediately. Some of the most common bugs that can be found in stagnant water are mosquitoes, fruit flies, and cockroaches. All three of these bugs carry diseases, so it's best to take care of any leaks as soon as possible. An infestation of any of these bugs can create a nightmare in all weather conditions but the root cause can be found in rainwater pooling in between the walls. Foundation damage. This one is very dangerous. Of all kinds of rain damage possible, this can cost homeowners thousands to fix - at best. It doesn't matter if the home's attic is intact, rainwater can still make its way down to your home's foundation and destroy it slowly. Water can erode parts of the home's foundation, or it can make the soil around the lowest points of the house expand which applies enough pressure to create foundation cracks. Rainwater creating pools around the house. Having long-lasting wet patches around your home after rainfall should sound the alarm bells. The stagnant water can create bug nests, but more pressingly the water can seep underground and create those expensive-to-fix foundation cracks. Your first line of defence when it comes to water damage like that is a way to direct water away from the home. Usually, that means gutters; angled properly and well-maintained. Small things like twigs and pine needles can collect in the gutters during dry periods and then even properly installed gutters can have their downspout clogged up. Rainwater damage doesn't just mean that you have to protect your roof or the house's siding but it means looking after the property as a whole. What are the problem areas with rain? Unfortunately, when it comes to pinpointing rain damage to house sections, there's no quick and easy way to do it unless there is some visual indicator. Still, it pays off to pay special attention to certain parts of the home during routine maintenance. Your basement should be a dry environment, unusually high levels of moisture in the air can indicate a problem further up. Doors, windows, and other openings can also be cause for concern. If you notice that the siding of your home is getting more degraded around a windowsill or a doorway then that means that something is building up in the walls of the house. During heavy storms, gutters can get misaligned and their downspout point toward the home instead of away from it - creating a situation where what was supposed to help is actually making the problem worse. The roof, left last here because most people would look there first, is definitely an area that you want to have good control of. Water damage is insidious because of how much confidence we have in things like our house's roof. In reality, a good roof requires yearly maintenance and a good look every six months at the very least. Mould growth in attics is common and often overlooked. While it can be annoying, it is a good practice to keep the attic in good order and not let clutter overtake the space. Clutter makes quick check-ups of the walls tough for anyone. What can you do to fix things? Other than routine inspections, you can save money by doing a few simple things. Planting trees, far from the house's basement or foundation, and smaller plants are an amazing long-term solution. The plants will soak up rainwater and cool off your home in the summer. If surface water around the house is on an incline then a good idea would be to build an exterior french drain. These are basically drains that line your house's perimeter and redirect the water in another direction to prevent it from affecting your home. If you find an exposed leak or crack, you could use some foam sealant as a quick fix. However, if you suspect deeper damage, more immediate damage, it's best to contact a professional. Construction issues may have left you with internal issues that could require heavy-duty fixes.       View All Homes For Sale in Greater Vancouver >>> About Search Home Listings SearchHomeListings.ca has simplified the home buying and selling process by giving you superior tools with up-to-the-minute information including active homes for sale, sold homes, market reports, and a home valuation tool! We have a team of success managers on standby to support you with setting up your saved home search and agents ready to take you out on a tour. Tap into our industry experts from inspectors, to contractors to interior designers to provide you with the best prices and service possible. Everyone attached to our website has been rigorously vetted and is made up of caring, knowledgeable professionals that work tirelessly to help you to make your home buying experience as stress-free as possible. 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Should You Use a Real Estate Agent To Find an Apartment? It's common for people to say that you should use a real estate agent when buying a house but should you use one if you're looking for an apartment? Finding an apartment can be a gruelling process. Finding the next apartment or, if you're in for a challenge, the perfect apartment is complicated in a competitive market - where there is a high demand for apartments - prospective tenants will need to navigate a variety of financial questions and configurations for each place they come across. Apartment hunting is a marathon with the lease agreement as the finish line and your real estate agent like your coach. Pros and Cons of using a real estate agent. No one is going to pretend that all real estate agents offer up the same value, some may even waste your time and money but before you make the call, let's go over some of the pros and cons of using a real estate agent for an apartment search. Pros of using an agent for an apartment. Possibly no cost. This is something many new renters don't usually know about. In many cases, your future landlord will be covering the cost of your agent's commission. As a prospective tenant, this does not come with no responsibility but this is something to come back to later. The commission amount varies from case to case but it can be equivalent to one month's rent, a percentage of the yearly rent amount, or a specified amount. The rules are not set in stone from city to city so do some research if you are moving to a new city. In Toronto, for example, using a rental agent costs the tenant nothing. The cost is shouldered by the property owners. Familiarity with the process. This is especially important if this is your first go around the rental market or if you're looking to scale up in terms of rental properties - small apartments don't obey the same rules as bigger ones or ones in more desirable locations. When asked, many real estate agents will give you a good idea of what an apartment's market value in the current is and how to temper your expectations. They will also help you calculate how you can save money in the long term. Cons of using an agent for an apartment. Potentially not getting an agent. An agent gets paid based on the monthly rent of a property but new renters choose the cheaper options. For real estate companies, many renters who are looking for the cheapest possible rentals are not worth the time and effort. Rentals require time from an agent and it's just a matter of deciding whether the potential commission is worth it or not. Possibility of extra fees. On top of a security deposit, first month's rent, and move-in costs, you may have to pay an agent's commission. This tends not to be the case, since the landlord usually shoulders the cost but if you do use an agent it's definitely something worth taking into consideration. Before panicking, take a moment to look into the local practices since most rentals in big cities tend to mean that the renters will not be paying the fee. What about apartment brokers? An apartment broker is an agent who specializes in finding apartments for rent. They have a large database of apartments and can help you find the perfect place to live. They typically have a deep knowledge of available apartments and the pros and cons of any local apartment complex. Most apartment brokers have good relations with local property managers and management companies which means that they can be aware of apartment listings before they make their way to a multiple listing service. Keep in mind that a broker's fee needs to come out of someone's pocket and it's best to make that clear before going much further in the transaction. Tips for finding an apartment on your own. Should you set out to find an apartment on your own, if you're looking for something relatively cheap in the current market for example, here are some things to keep in mind. Compare, compare, compare. An apartment might look very cozy from the pictures but you need to look at other properties that offer similar value for your dollar. Housing supply is in a stranglehold because of the pandemic and that automatically pushes the price of real estate upward. Without a realtor on your side, it's up to you to find the hidden gems in the market. Use a spreadsheet. No, it's not overkill. If you're not using a real estate agent and you will be looking at more than three apartments then it's a good idea to create a simple spreadsheet where you can check for crucial details. You can note down commute times, features of the buildings and units, and even add a couple of pictures. This will help you balance out what you need and what you can do without - all while avoiding the allure of the way the units are presented online. Go straight to the management company. One thing that most people don't know about is that you can get in touch with a property management company directly. This means that they will show you around the rentals that they own, whether that means a new apartment or a slew of new listings. This could greatly cut down your search time if you do the research. Of course, you need to be on your guard and well-informed to know if an apartment is worth what the property manager says. Prospective tenants going through this option need to be armed with knowledge before being lured in by big promises. Get familiar with the terms, the market, and the company itself. The more work you do, the more value you will get. How to find the right type of rental property that meets your needs with a real estate agent. An agent is there to save you time and help you sniff out the best properties available. This doesn't mean that they're mind readers. When working with real estate agents you need to communicate clearly. You don't want to find yourself in an expensive two-bedroom that's fine with pets when you're living alone and trying to save up for a home where you will have no pets because of your allergies. Most renters make the mistake of being led by the agent when in fact all this does is burn up time. Searching for a new home is about finding the right fit and it's best done when you tell your agent things like whether you need a unit on the ground floor or require an indoor parking space. The bottom line is simple: communicate. What's the final answer? Using an agent as a renter is a good idea. Take a look at your local real estate practices, or better yet just ask, to find out who pays the agent's commission. Whether your lease renewal is coming up or you're moving to a new neighbourhood, it's never too early to find an agent to help you find an apartment. A lease is something you should sign with eagerness, and an agent can help you find the right apartment for that - possibly for no cost to yourself. View All Homes For Sale in Greater Vancouver >>> About Search Home Listings SearchHomeListings.ca has simplified the home buying and selling process by giving you superior tools with up-to-the-minute information including active homes for sale, sold homes, market reports, and a home valuation tool! We have a team of success managers on standby to support you with setting up your saved home search and agents ready to take you out on a tour. Tap into our industry experts from inspectors, to contractors to interior designers to provide you with the best prices and service possible. Everyone attached to our website has been rigorously vetted and is made up of caring, knowledgeable professionals that work tirelessly to help you to make your home buying experience as stress-free as possible. Contact us today to see how we can help!  Sites We Follow Google Facebook Twitter

Activities To Do With Kids To Explore Your New Neighbourhood. For school-age kids, to say goodbye to the neighbourhood they knew can leave them feeling overwhelmed or feeling frustrated. Many kids adjust quickly but all kids can feel the stress of moving from one home to another. It takes more than stuffed animals and candy to make a child feel at home far from their old house. Being the new kid is always daunting and a happy moving day might help but it's just that, a single day. The benefits of getting your kids acclimated after moving. The first few weeks will be tense for everyone. The first environment they need to consider a safe space is the new house, being able to identify this new place as somewhere stable and where they belong is going to help tremendously with their mental health. This is why it's a good idea to get rid of cardboard boxes from the move as fast as possible. The new house is their new home, not a transitory place. It serves as their anchor as they find their place in the new community they find themselves in. As a parent, you are also obviously busy during and after the move, after all, you need to find your place as well. To help kids feel at home is to help make that new home a better space for the whole family. What are the best things then to help kids love their new neighbourhood? 1. Go for a walk. The words "explore, new neighbourhood, with kids, and settle in yourself" all used in a single sentence can sound highly stress-inducing but deciding to take your child along when you need to run errands or just need to scope out a new area can help them get a quick peek at their new horizons. Involving children this way also helps with your child's safety by teaching them which places are child safe and which are not. A walk and how you comport yourself during the said walk is going to help them understand how they should move on the same streets as well. Kids sense things with a lot more ease than we give them credit for. If they feel comfortable, enough, let your child lead the way from time to time. This will encourage them to find markers in the environment that help them navigate. You might not have noticed the ice-cream parlour on a specific corner but they sure did. Finding a local park can help your kids see that there are places where they can go with their new friends. (This is all age-dependent obviously but the idea applies to playdates for middle-grade children as well as older teenagers, it's just the execution that's a little different.) 2. Visit the library. Not all kids are the physical types and that's okay. Kids cope with the world in all sorts of different ways but keeping kids moving, even if it's a quick trip to the local library can help them situate themselves in their new life with a lot more ease. A local library is also a great place for kids (and even parents) to make some new friends. The library may have events that involve other kids or tips about what to do around town for the more cerebrally-focused children. Becoming a regular at the library will also give your kids a space where they can feel at ease if they need some time on their own. While your home should always be the number one safe harbour, it's important to let them have safe spaces that you know of and can get to easily. Sometimes homesickness lasts a while and stays buried, but a good book can make things right. 3. Play in a local sports league or club. On the other hand, some children just cannot sit still. That's where a group physical activity comes in. Mixing play, encouraging socialization, and creating an exciting environment are all things that playing a team sport can do to let your child come into their own naturally. It will require some organization but organized activities also allow families to bond by giving the children something to talk about during dinners or family time instead of the usual tedium of school work. A new house can mean changes for your family like spending more time on your feet and doing it as new members of a community can encourage positive changes for everyone involved. Children tend to make more efforts if they see other members of their family, especially their parents, putting in more effort. 4. Organize community movie nights or BBQs. If you and your family are the types to love having neighbours around or creating small events then renting out a projector for a community movie night can be a great way to become part of the neighbourhood. Just make sure the volume is low enough to prevent any complaints - that would defeat the purpose of the whole operation. Involving all the family members can help everyone bond with their new peers. Teenagers can roll their eyes at you to bond with other teens, younger kids can hang out together and find something fun to do while the movie starts to get rolling. The idea isn't so much to have everyone doing the exact same thing, it's to create an opportunity for people to gather. You can replace the movie idea with a pool party or a convivial BBQ in your front yard with no strings attached. 5. Let them lead the way. Some kids need to feel a little bit of control. Of course, it's not about giving them a free pass to do whatever they want but allowing them to make the calls instead of relying on you will help sharpen their decision-making process. A new house can mean a chance to reinvent themselves. Some children can be very excited at the prospect of a new beginning. It could be because they want to leave some bad memories behind or create a new image for themselves in their new place. If doing things that would have made them happy in the old house is not working anymore then it may be a sign that they are in the process of coming into their own instead of the mould they felt like they had fit in previously. There's a lot of nuance that comes into play there, especially given the age of the kid in question but a new neighbourhood can be exactly what your child needs to flourish. View All Homes For Sale in Greater Vancouver >>> About Search Home Listings SearchHomeListings.ca has simplified the home buying and selling process by giving you superior tools with up-to-the-minute information including active homes for sale, sold homes, market reports, and a home valuation tool! We have a team of success managers on standby to support you with setting up your saved home search and agents ready to take you out on a tour. Tap into our industry experts from inspectors, to contractors to interior designers to provide you with the best prices and service possible. Everyone attached to our website has been rigorously vetted and is made up of caring, knowledgeable professionals that work tirelessly to help you to make your home buying experience as stress-free as possible. Contact us today to see how we can help!  Sites We Follow Google Facebook Twitter

Buying an FSBO Home - A Good Idea? A For Sale By Owner (FSBO) home is a home that is for sale by the owner. This means that the owner is selling the home without the help of a real estate agent. A seller will put their home on the market, but not usually through the traditional multiple listing service an agent might use. They will find another platform, usually suited to FSBO sales. They will write up the listing and post it all without the help of a selling agent, also known as a listing agent, to try and save money. Not having an agent means no need to pay the agent's commission. There are online services that list FSBO homes exclusively and many buyers consider buying a home through FSBO sellers if the home fits their criteria but is that a good idea? It depends. Pros of buying an FSBO home. A more personal approach to selling and buying a house. When dealing with a For Sale By Owner home, buyers will be able to get a more down-to-earth description of the house and good knowledge of what it's like to live in the home. Beyond just the features, the owner can let the potential buyers know about the best spots in town or the neighbourhood quirks. Things that a buyer would usually find out after signing a purchase contract. FSBO sellers, having personal contact with the prospective buyers, can also be more amenable to some buyers depending on the circumstances they find themselves in. With an agent involved, the home buying process can start to feel less personal and more about property taxes and closing costs than the transfer of the seller's house and the creation of the buyer's own home. Cons of buying an FSBO Home. Lack of due diligence. FSBO homes are often sold as-is and home sales done this way can lead to some bad surprises down the line. An owner may not have done their due diligence when it comes to properly evaluating their homes' need for repairs before a real estate transaction can take place. An FSBO deal may sound too good to be true only because a home inspection hasn't happened. Going too far down the process for an FSBO house that is then deemed to be a money pit means that critical time is lost by both the buyer and the seller. Lack of professionalism. There are many things owners do not consider during the sale. It's not because of malice or ill-will but simply a lack of knowledge. After all, being a professional real estate agent is a full-time job. This lack of professionalism can manifest in several ways for home sellers. Listing agents will often create the best possible environment to showcase a house during an open house, they are also bound by rules and regulations that prevent them from vastly overselling a property. They also need to remain ethical and negotiate properly when the time comes for that. A home sale is an emotional process and the home value can be greatly overestimated. An inflated sense of value is almost to be expected. In a buyer's market, this can mean that the seller can become jaded and too guarded for their own good. When emotions get in the way, the sales price of a home can skyrocket and price out buyers that could have been making perfectly reasonable offers. Lack of information. The transfer of home ownership is not the simplest thing when it comes to real estate. There are a few options available to buyers and sellers involved in a sale-by-owner situation so that they can gather all critical and other documents needed to validate the sale of a home in a timely manner. An FSBO transaction can be shaky and take longer than if real estate agents were involved. However, it's worth noting that something that happens often is the involvement of a transactional agent that is hired during the selling process to look over the legality of the purchase agreement. It's cheaper than hiring an agent to help with the whole process but it does involve paying a fee. Considering the amount of money changing hands during real estate transactions, it's best to have a real estate professional involved at some point. Every real estate sales contract should be verified by a real estate lawyer to certify its binding nature and fairness. Can a buyer still hire a real estate agent? Whether a buyer needs some reassurance or they came across an FSBO home that fits their criteria, it's perfectly legal and reasonable to have a buyer's agent present during an FSBO transaction. The key point to discuss for the potential buyer and the seller is who will pay the agent's commission. It's typically the seller in traditional scenarios. In the case of an FSBO sale, smart sellers will be more willing to foot the bill for the buyer's agents if they found a good deal. However, it's vital to discuss that part of the transaction in clear terms to prevent it from causing the deal to fall through. What else should you keep in mind for an FSBO sale? As a buyer, it's critical to do the usual things when it comes to an FSBO. If you're working with an agent they can let you know, depending on market conditions and a comparative market analysis if the home is worth the asking price. Should you be curious enough, a home inspection is essential for an FSBO since you do not want to be saddled with repairs for the property that the seller did not see fit to mention or genuinely missed. A home loan, or mortgage, will also be necessary unless you can cover the purchase price in cash outright. This means that an FSBO is not a way to circumvent the need to deal with a mortgage lender. Lastly, as potential buyers, remember that you need to be careful with any home that seems attractive. The purpose of every listing is to attract buyers and when those listings are written by the homeowner, they are not held to the same standards as a seller's agent in a typical sale. FSBO homes can be a great way to save money but without proper care and precaution, this could cost far more in the long run than it saves in the short run. View All Homes For Sale in Greater Vancouver >>> About Search Home Listings SearchHomeListings.ca has simplified the home buying and selling process by giving you superior tools with up-to-the-minute information including active homes for sale, sold homes, market reports, and a home valuation tool! We have a team of success managers on standby to support you with setting up your saved home search and agents ready to take you out on a tour. Tap into our industry experts from inspectors, to contractors to interior designers to provide you with the best prices and service possible. Everyone attached to our website has been rigorously vetted and is made up of caring, knowledgeable professionals that work tirelessly to help you to make your home buying experience as stress-free as possible. Contact us today to see how we can help!  Sites We Follow Google Facebook Twitter

7 Must-Have Features for Your Ideal Home Open floor plan living space. An open plan living space is a design in which the living room, dining room, and kitchen are all open to each other. This type of layout is popular because it allows for easy communication and interaction between family members or guests. For example, during a party, the people in the kitchen area don't feel like they are completely separated from the rest of the party. This kind of living space is also beneficial because it provides multiple points of access to natural light. It reduces the number of windows needed and allows for an easy flow of light and traffic throughout the home. Hardwood floors. There are many reasons why people like hardwood floors. One of the biggest benefits of hardwood flooring is that they are easy to clean and maintain. Unlike carpets, which can become stained and matted over time, hardwood floors can be swept or mopped regularly to keep them looking new. Additionally, if a spill occurs on a hardwood floor, it can be quickly and easily wiped up without causing any damage. They last a long time and are durable. Hardwood floors can last for decades and through many generations of homeowners - which is why they add a lot of value to a home. This helps build up the property in the eyes of future prospective home buyers. A very underrated but desirable feature of hardwood flooring is that it does a great job to retain heat. This reduces heating and cooling costs by reducing the amount of energy needed to keep the floor warm. If left in the sun during the winter this can make a big difference. These floors can also be refinished multiple times to the point where they look like all new flooring. Hardwood isn't just an aesthetic preference, it has its very real uses which include lowering energy costs, this is why it is one of the most sought-after interior features. A walk-in closet. There are certain features homebuyers associate with luxury. Walk-in closets are one of those desirable home features. Having a dedicated space for clothing not only makes storage much easier but it makes browsing and selecting clothing items significantly faster and more efficient. Potential buyers tend to seek those out only in the master bedroom but in upscale homes, a walk-in closet can be a feature for every bedroom. Not all walk-in closets are made equal and entire rooms dedicated to clothes can be rare. These are often substituted for a small space that does not have recessed lighting or an accent wall to present a collection of shoes. A remodel that creates a more luxurious atmosphere while remaining practical is one feature sure to make a home's value surge in the real estate market. Though it's far from the same thing, a walk-in pantry follows the same rules but it requires the addition of a proper HVAC system for the room especially if it can be closed off. Either of those home improvement projects can pay off massively in the event of a sale down the line. Energy-efficient windows and doors. Most buyers are becoming more and more conscious of their impact on the environment - and their energy bill. During the warmer months, energy-efficient windows and doors keep the hot air outside to keep the home at a stabilized temperature. This helps keep cooling costs down as doors and windows are the biggest culprits when it comes to unwanted heat slipping in or out. These may not be as flashy as the other features listed but in an ideal home, the money saved can go into other things like improving the style of the home or investing in stainless steel appliances. Speaking of which, the kitchen is the next stop. A modern, up-to-date kitchen. A kitchen island with seating for casual dining or working on crafts while the kids are doing their homework at the table is something some people see in movies. For others, it's normal. Many buyers are looking for a new normal that allows them to leave behind some inadequacy that came with their older homes. A new start begins in the kitchen, a place where a family comes together to start and end a day. Having a top-of-the-line kitchen isn't what makes these moments happen but it definitely helps. A kitchen island with seating for casual dining or working on crafts while the kids are doing their homework at the table can help gather the family in one area. This is especially helpful in open floor plans where it's easier for people to get scattered throughout the main living area. A bigger kitchen sink can make doing the dishes much easier and more ecological by reducing the amount of water needed to rinse lathered dishes. This is all without mentioning things like double ovens for when you need to cook large meals. New or almost new appliances are one more thing that new home buyers don't need to replace when they move in. These new appliances also tend to be more energy-efficient and help reduce utility costs in the long run. A deck or patio. A deck is a perfect place to entertain and one of the many exterior features that buyers seek out actively. The homeowners can enjoy more privacy without having to give up on cozy outdoor areas where they can enjoy natural light and fresh air. On warm summer evenings, the soft glow coming from the house makes a chair on a patio the perfect place to snuggle up with a good book. A deck or patio also perfectly complements a beautiful garden, allowing everyone in the family to enjoy the work of the member of the family with a green thumb. A dedicated reading nook. This one might be a little more niche than the others but if you have a reader in the family then a nice reading area with plenty of light, cushions, and quiet is the height of luxury. Bay windows feel like they were made for reading nooks, bonus points if it sits in a secluded area of the house with a nearby shelf filled to the brim and more. The location of the nook is a tricky one because it needs to gorge on natural light but cannot be too exposed from the common areas of the home. This is why finding a good one feels like stumbling upon a buried treasure for any avid reader. Clever storage solutions could also house blankets and compartments that hold drinks - or tissues when the reader's favourite character inevitably bites the dust. This is far from an exhaustive list, so here are some more examples. If this list clued you into anything it's that the must-haves for your ideal home should be things that fit your lifestyle. Some people love their cars and a garage that's more than three walls and a remote-controlled door can be the missing piece they are looking for to truly feel like their house is their ideal home. The same goes for those that love to entertain but don't have an outdoor kitchen that can keep a party going uninterrupted even in the Fall. A den in a quiet corner of the home that can be turned into a home studio or a sun-drenched solarium for the plant lovers in the family can make all the difference when it comes to buying the home or not. View All Homes For Sale in Greater Vancouver >>> About Search Home Listings SearchHomeListings.ca has simplified the home buying and selling process by giving you superior tools with up-to-the-minute information including active homes for sale, sold homes, market reports, and a home valuation tool! We have a team of success managers on standby to support you with setting up your saved home search and agents ready to take you out on a tour. Tap into our industry experts from inspectors, to contractors to interior designers to provide you with the best prices and service possible. Everyone attached to our website has been rigorously vetted and is made up of caring, knowledgeable professionals that work tirelessly to help you to make your home buying experience as stress-free as possible. Contact us today to see how we can help!  Sites We Follow Google Facebook Twitter

How New Developments Change Property Values. Changes in property values seem scary to many homeowners, and with the volatility of the market always increasing it makes it hard to know if the value of your home is going to rise or wall. New developments as either new residential buildings or pieces of commercial real estate make many property owners sweat. Those things can have an effect on property taxes and how potential buyers see a home being put up for sale. Not to mention a few other things. Let's look at the following examples to see what would bring about the biggest changes to the market value property values in a short amount of time. New campus for a school. Good school districts tend to increase the desirability of a home. In the real estate market, proximity to good schools will up the price of each square foot of a house. However, when looking at an example like this there are a thousand factors to keep in mind. Nuance is important here: the value of a home can decrease during the construction of said school if the home is close to the construction site. It may be hard to justify a higher price on a sale when people in the open house have to speak louder because of construction noises. Conversely, a home further away from the construction but still within a walkable distance from the school can demand more money. The higher list price would be justified by the easy access to the school. Meanwhile, if your route home from work passes by a busy road because of the school it can become a hindrance toward buying a single-family home that is other amazing. If this is starting to feel like a tennis match it's on purpose. The simple fact of living close to a school says nothing about what that does to a property's value. Elated sellers pr des[pmdemt residents need to take into account a bunch of other factors to see if their mortgage is suddenly a steal or a racket. What can make a difference over years may not be felt right away. Easy access to public transportation to the school can increase property value but that may be offset by the property taxes residents have to pay. Additions to a neighbourhood need to be evaluated on a per case basis but sometimes just the fact that many people are selling or buying a home in one area can affect a buyer's perspective of the area. More buyers can create a seller's market but once the first sold properties are gone, the rest may find themselves in a buyer's market from the lack of demand. Whether the new development will be profitable or not for an owner or a buyer is often purely speculative, especially in the short term. A Fire Station. A property assessment is a lot easier to do when a home hasn't been ravaged by fire; when the exterior paint is still there and not charred black. Still, there are downsides to living near a fire station. Anyone who lived in Manhattan will know the pain of ceaseless traffic but a spare few all over North America have had a fire station across their yard. Everyone wants firefighters nearby in case of natural disasters but the noise pollution from the sirens at any and all hours is something nearby residents have no other option but to accept. Just like a school, a fire station will create both positives and negatives for a home. Its property value will be affected but the way in which it is affected depends on how far it is from the facility and to what extent it can affect the home. To determine whether a location will be affected by an increase or decrease in property values is a gamble in all but the simplest cases. Then where does worry come from? What often causes worry or people is an assessment notice, upcoming property tax reassessment, that lists their home as being worth a lot less than what they are paying in terms of their mortgage. It rightfully sets off alarm bells but one thing to keep in mind is that that notice does not automatically translate into the price the owner is expected to sell. While many buyers will be curious about property taxes, the housing market will be the key factor responsible for dictating the value of a sale. To be "under the water" for your mortgage means you owe more on your mortgage than your property is currently worth. This can be a difficult situation to be in, as it can be difficult or impossible to sell the property until you have paid off the difference. Many people find themselves in this situation during a housing market crash when prices drop significantly and they are unable to afford their current mortgage payments. This is the key fear when it comes to new developments that could drive the value of a home in a downward spiral. It's not something to be underestimated but it's not something that happens overnight - outside of a massive systemic crisis. Changes to the home itself. While people in town councils are able to effect changes at a municipal level by making their voices heard, there are still homes that end up by train tracks or right next to the local funeral home. There's no going around the fact that some things will cause the property value of some homes to plummet in the real estate market. Still, there are ways to counteract the negative effect that things beyond your control have on your home. Economic factors and interest rates are things we wish we could control but we simply cannot, not as individuals. What a homeowner can do is be aware of upcoming changes to a neighbourhood and act accordingly. Deferred maintenance, taking too long to address repairs that the home needs, is one of the biggest things that will drive the price of a home downward. It might seem strange to make an investment in a home that might have its value reduced by outside factors but making the home more attractive to buyers can make it easier to sell the house if you are planning on moving anyway. The price per square foot can go down because of changes in the house's location but some key renovations can more than shore up the cost for people that don't mind things like fire station sirens or busy roads because of schools. A location's value depends on the market but homeowners still have their own individual preferences and one homeowner's nightmare is a non-issue to another. At the end of the day, it's important to keep an eye out for developments in your neighbourhood so you can make an early decision with regard to your house. Should the new development affect your home, you can find ways to sell to either get a profit or prevent losses down the line. At the same time, it pays, literally, to be patient and understand how shifts in property value can eventually swing things in your favour in the long ru View All Homes For Sale in Greater Vancouver >>> About Search Home Listings SearchHomeListings.ca has simplified the home buying and selling process by giving you superior tools with up-to-the-minute information including active homes for sale, sold homes, market reports, and a home valuation tool! We have a team of success managers on standby to support you with setting up your saved home search and agents ready to take you out on a tour. Tap into our industry experts from inspectors, to contractors to interior designers to provide you with the best prices and service possible. Everyone attached to our website has been rigorously vetted and is made up of caring, knowledgeable professionals that work tirelessly to help you to make your home buying experience as stress-free as possible. Contact us today to see how we can help!  Sites We Follow Google Facebook Twitter

How to Find Your Dream Home—in 8 Easy Steps. Figure out what you want in a home. You might be looking for something containing five bedrooms, three bathrooms and two cars. Decide how many rooms you need, how much outdoor space you need, and what other things you will need to feel like you're not just within four walls but home. Utilitarian factors are important to take into account because, no matter how much you love the architecture of a house's exterior, if it does not have enough bedrooms it will be hard to enjoy spending time in it. Then again, if your dream home doesn't include a dishwasher, maybe you could live without one and save some money. Make a list of the things that are must-haves and the things that you can compromise on. After all, you will spend years in that new house and pay for the mortgage and down payment. The buying process isn't something most people want to go through for fun. Narrow down your options by location and budget. Now, this is the time where plans meet reality. The perfect house may not be in the right location or within your budget. The house-hunting process is limited by your budget first, so when you're looking at listings you can look at how much it could cost to own a beautiful home you see online by using some online calculators to figure out what types of homes fall within your price range. An idea of what your ideal home costs is a great way to recalibrate expectations. The housing market is a strange thing, especially these days in Canada. Your wish list may not match up to what you will find in your search. Doing some research in comparable houses lets you re-evaluate what your home buying process will look like. Location is supremely important and not just because of property taxes; the surrounding area of a house can turn it into a no-go or the perfect home. For example, a property in a good school district, with decent square footage, but a slightly higher asking price than expected can very well be the right house compared to a similar property in a worse neighbourhood. Hire a real estate agent to help you through the process. Home buyers sometimes feel like real estate professionals don't add as much value as their commission is worth - then it's suddenly time to pay for closing costs and the homeowners association fees. A real estate agent is a key part of how to find your dream home. In the search for a new home, they are experts always on the lookout for the best properties even before said houses go on the market. House hunting is something most people do a few times in their entire lives, real estate agents find the best deals possible for every budget and specification possible. The tales of people that save more money by going without an agent are rare enough that they get brought up but home buying is full of traps and unlit paths that many wish they had used an agent to guide them. Tour potential homes and make a list of pros and cons. An open house is almost like cheating, it gives a serious buyer such a good idea about what they can expect from life in the house that it can make or break whether the property flies off the market or not. When going through an open house ask questions whenever you can, test all that the real estate agent will let you test and try to imagine it as your current home. Will you feel satisfied with your search if you end up there? Is this close enough to your dream house? As you walk through the house, think of your future and that of your family. Think of how kids, hypothetical or real, will feel about their first home. Spend some time in each room to understand how your life can flourish within that space. Get pre-approved for a mortgage loan. Once you know what kind of home you can afford, it's time to get pre-approved for a mortgage loan. This is when your mortgage lender, usually a bank, will evaluate your actual purchasing power. Having this pre-approval in hand is a great way to get ahead of other buyers. It shows sellers that you're serious and able to pay for the home. This mortgage rate will be defined by things like your credit score and debt-to-income ratio. It's a whole other topic worth exploring with your real estate agent - they can also connect you with a mortgage broker specialized in finding the best possible mortgage deals. Get a home inspection done. Now, this step is about finding out if that dream home has serious issues that could cost more money to fix. A home inspector is a professional who looks for any and all defects in a property with the intent of giving the buyer an accurate estimate of what it will cost to repair any issues. These professionals are usually hired by or recommended to home buyers who intend on making an offer. You should get the inspection done before you make the offer, using the information gathered to get a better deal. Make an offer on the house. This is one of the most exhilarating and stressful moments in the house hunting journey. Figuring out what the right offer is and when to send it is an exercise in nuance and something often best done in concert with your real estate agent. Make an offer that's too low and the seller will discard it, make an offer that is far above the asking price and you might end up paying far more than you have to, not just as a down payment but for your mortgage as well. There is usually an offer date put in place by the seller's agent to help them have enough time to make their decision, so be sure to submit on that date or before. Your agent may even suggest a bully offer that comes in early with fewer conditions attached to it, but that is a special scenario. Finalize the sale and move in! Once the offer is accepted, you need to work with the seller for just a little longer. Just long enough for the remaining fees and costs to be cleared so that the rights of the house are legally transferred over. The day where everything is done, closing day, is when you can move your things in and start living in the home. If you're wondering when it's time to pop the champagne, this is one of those times. The road to the end of the sale will be rocky and uncertain but new homes are bought every day throughout the country. There's no reason you shouldn't be next. Happy house hunting. View All Homes For Sale in Greater Vancouver >>> About Search Home Listings SearchHomeListings.ca has simplified the home buying and selling process by giving you superior tools with up-to-the-minute information including active homes for sale, sold homes, market reports, and a home valuation tool! We have a team of success managers on standby to support you with setting up your saved home search and agents ready to take you out on a tour. Tap into our industry experts from inspectors, to contractors to interior designers to provide you with the best prices and service possible. Everyone attached to our website has been rigorously vetted and is made up of caring, knowledgeable professionals that work tirelessly to help you to make your home buying experience as stress-free as possible. Contact us today to see how we can help!  Sites We Follow Google Facebook Twitter

What Are The Worst Mistakes New Buyers Make? What are the worst mistakes when buying a house? The home buying process is stressful, from house-hunting to signing on the dotted line. It's a financial, legal, and emotional process that involves tens of thousands of dollars just in processing fees alone. Not understanding additional or hidden costs. When it comes to the house-hunting process, the asking price is not the only thing potential buyers have to take into account. That's why it's important for prospective homeowners to do the research when it comes to hidden costs and fees. There are many things that first-time buyers fail to account for like closing costs and potential repairs. The perfect house will always come with some sort of imperfection that an open house cannot suss out. Before you start a bidding war, it's important to factor in things like whether or not the land transfer tax bracket changes with a higher offer, if home insurance premiums are likely to change before the closing date, and so on. Buying in a hot market. This is not necessarily a mistake but in a hot market where the home purchase price is higher because of high demand, it might be a good idea to save money by being patient. It's hard for home buyers to gauge what kind of market a home is in but that is something that a real estate agent should be able to help with. Of course, a home's price is based on concrete things like whether it's in a good school district or its condition but its market value is affected by the way the market is trending. Many buyers mean a seller can expect a sharp difference in price, not just a fluctuation of a thousand dollars or two. A buyer's market where the house price favours the home buyer is one where there aren't a lot of buyers and a seller's agent may be able to motivate sellers to settle for a lower price than anticipated. A dream home can be tempting but you need to put yourself in the shoes of a real estate investor even if you're only buying one home. Is the inflated value worth the increased financial pressure? More money for a down payment and a higher monthly mortgage payment because of the interest rate can quickly turn your dream home into a money pit. Skipping the home inspection. A home inspector will be the first person to identify any problems with a home. Since home inspection fees can save you tens of thousands of dollars in repairs, skipping this step just isn't smart. Many people think that inspectors are only needed when there has been water damage or other problems but they are still important. Sometimes it's difficult to get sellers to co-operate with inspectors but many people are willing to reduce their price when the home inspector finds problems that they wouldn't have otherwise known about. This is unfortunately one of the more common home buyer mistakes. A good inspector can find the difference between water stains that just need a quick paint job and stains that stem from long-lasting maintenance issues. From basement walls to the electrical panel, a home inspection is critical to highlight foundation issues and safety concerns that can change whether the purchase contract slides into the picture or not. Negotiating with sellers who don't want to negotiate. Real estate is time-sensitive and being locked into endless negotiation is money lost. One of the big reasons why a seller might not want to negotiate is the current state of capital gains taxes. This is a tax the seller pays when they make a profit off of the property and something they have to factor into their finances. When on the house hunt, it's a good idea to be aware of all your options. While the costs needed to get to the finish line are high, they might not be worth the too-high mortgage payments if the current homeowner is not willing to compromise a little. Buying a house without researching the location. There's a reason why real estate agents emphasize location so much. A home in a neighbourhood with top-notch schools and low crime rates is usually worth the extra cash. It's also important to research what kind of transportation options are available and an area's proximity to shops and entertainment venues. A family that plans on walking or biking to get around may want to avoid homes that require them to drive everywhere. You should also take into account what could happen years down the line when you want to buy a new house. Paying down your mortgage is one of the mortgage basics but learning about home equity to fund your search for the perfect two-bedroom home can help you make moves faster. Buying a historic property without knowing the ramifications. A historic property is enticing but buyers should know what they are getting into. These properties may need renovations to bring them up to current standards and get rid of any safety hazards. Many historic homes cannot be demolished so buyers will have to pay for all the work necessary. It's also difficult to find contractors who specialize in older houses which can drive up renovation costs, not to mention the need for special permits. Though historical homes come with their often quirks, they do have some benefits. It's not impossible for first-time home buyers to deal with those idiosyncracies but it is definitely an added stress. Not using a real estate agent. Real estate is a complicated business and there's a reason why a real estate agent makes their living from helping people find and buy the right home. First-time buyers underestimate how volatile the real estate market can be and the complexity of the home buying process. Simply being pre-approved for a mortgage and having enough for a down payment is not enough to ensure a good deal. One agent that is experienced and attentive can make a marked difference on closing day. They have access to a network that can make the process lightning fast or give them access to great homes even before they go onto online listings. A few hours of work with one can save thousands.   View All Homes For Sale in Greater Vancouver >>> About Search Home Listings SearchHomeListings.ca has simplified the home buying and selling process by giving you superior tools with up-to-the-minute information including active homes for sale, sold homes, market reports, and a home valuation tool! We have a team of success managers on standby to support you with setting up your saved home search and agents ready to take you out on a tour. Tap into our industry experts from inspectors, to contractors to interior designers to provide you with the best prices and service possible. Everyone attached to our website has been rigorously vetted and is made up of caring, knowledgeable professionals that work tirelessly to help you to make your home buying experience as stress-free as possible. Contact us today to see how we can help!  Sites We Follow Google Facebook Twitter

7 Moving Tips to Make Your Life Easier. Bubble wrap can be fun to work with and you might need it just for the stress relief when it comes to moving day. Moving is one of the most stressful things in life and for a good reason so here are some packing tips so you can save that bubble wrap as packing material instead of popping the bubbles. Start packing early. Put on some music and just get to it. If you're planning to move soon, just start the planning process while putting some items in boxes. A few weeks quickly go by and the rest of your life will take up some time as well. Friends and family members will come to visit one last time and dealing with the whole process of trying to figure out what to do with heavy furniture while they're will only add to the stress. Going steadily over a long period will save time because panic and stress devour valuable time. All your stuff needs a place to go to, whether that's a self-storage unit or garbage bags. Starting early will give you time to figure out where all essential items are and in which boxes they should go in. Being able to plan out how you will pack boxes based on function will also make the unpacking process significantly easier. While you may be tempted to spend a whole day packing, you can find that you run out of packing materials or appropriately sized boxes the day of. If you hire professional movers, you don't want to spend time running around fixing things at the last minute. The fine print for a moving company can include fees for delaying the moving process or using the moving truck for longer than you originally booked. Label everything carefully. When you're completely packed, you don't want to lose track of which moving boxes contain eating utensils and which ones contain important documents. If you move something from one box to another, make sure you re-label the original box as well as the new box. Labelling is also super important when it comes to weight and which small boxes can safely go on top of bigger size boxes. Box labelling can help preserve fragile items from being tossed into a truck and with making decisions on where to place things when unpacking. While you may think that this is time-consuming, it's a very small investment to avoid the huge headache of running around your new location with large boxes of dishware from the bathroom to the kitchen. Pack heavier items on the bottom of boxes. What you want to do is make sure your boxes stay upright and that means lowering their centres of gravity. The same box with heavy items on top versus at the bottom is a recipe for disaster. Lighter items need plenty of packing material but making sure they don't move a lot can be achieved by making the boxes layered. The bottom layer containing heavier items will anchor the box and will prevent it from flipping or falling over once it's in a moving truck. It might be tempting to put some items in a separate box but being flexible with your labelling can ensure that the cardboard boxes you use won't take a tumble from a slight breeze or have their underside break from excess weight. Use plenty of packing materials. Many moving tips will emphasize this and for good reason. You can't just wrap something with plastic wrap and toss it in a box. If you want to save space, it's not a good idea to stick a lot of items together without things like packing paper (or bunched-up paper like old newspapers) or packing peanuts to reduce how often and how hard objects will collide with each other inside the box. In concert with the previous point about making boxes stable, you want to create a plush environment for your household items. The cheap, but just as effective, moving tip is to use things like dish towels or even pyjamas to replace empty spaces with proper cushioning. When it comes to packing tape, you can never have enough. Once you're sure that your boxes are good to go, use enough packing tape along the box's openings but also add strengthening strips that create perpendicular patterns to consolidate the structural integrity of weak points. Just remember you will have to open that box later. You can find used boxes easily, even your local liquor store should have some unused boxes that you can use for packing and moving fragile items. They come in all sizes and sometimes with some simple structures that prevent the bottles from moving too much that you can use. Just pad the outer walls with paper towels to cushion your valuables and you have a compartmentalized box for free! Keep a list of important phone numbers and addresses handy. You might protest that you have all of that on your phone but, brace yourselves for this shocking plot twist, phones run out of batteries, fall, get packed by mistake. When you're moving to a new house a lot of things can go wrong. A stress-free move is a unicorn but having critical information at your fingertips can be a lifesaver. No need to sift through emails or haphazard Google searches, if you have a simple printout and a link to a pdf with all the important information on your phone's home screen then it can make things a lot easier for everyone involved. Take care when moving furniture. This includes couches, cabinets & bookcases, dressers, entertainment centers and any other heavy large object. Remember to always lift from underneath the piece to help you prevent dropping or injuring yourself. If a piece is too heavy for you to safely pick up and move on your own, DO NOT attempt it. You don't want a visit to the ER on the way to the storage facilities. If you're not hiring professional movers, then bribing friends and family with drinks and pizza will do the trick. It's not just about being able to lift heavy things, it's about maneuvering them through complicated angles without leaving dents and scratches on the furniture or the walls themselves. If you are hiring professionals through moving companies then ask how you can best prepare for their visit. If you have dresser drawers that slide open easily then tape them up and make sure to clear up unnecessary items on and around the piece of furniture. Non-essential power strips or cables of any kind should be removed throughout the path of the movers. What to do with unwanted items. When you're moving into a new environment, you should not bring even a single box of items you could have left behind. Before moving day, grab storage bins and dedicate one to things that belong in garbage bags and another one to items that can be donated. You're going to be paying for professional movers (or pizza for your friends) and it's best to make sure that enough money is spent wisely rather than rashly. Sometimes, moving services will have extra services to help you dispose of things you no longer want. You can also bring gently used items to thrift stores or local charities. Think of what around you is a bit easier to part with and that can help people going through a tough time. Moving house items is a chance to start over and an opportunity to try new things so selling flat-screen TVs makes sense if you're planning on cutting down on your screen time (or planning to buy a bigger one). Bonus tip. Pack an overnight bag with clothing essentials, a shampoo bottle, cleaning supplies, and toilet paper. If something goes wrong when packing and moving, you still want to be able to take a quick shower and change your clothes if a crisis takes some time to resolve. View All Homes For Sale in Greater Vancouver >>> About Search Home Listings SearchHomeListings.ca has simplified the home buying and selling process by giving you superior tools with up-to-the-minute information including active homes for sale, sold homes, market reports, and a home valuation tool! We have a team of success managers on standby to support you with setting up your saved home search and agents ready to take you out on a tour. Tap into our industry experts from inspectors, to contractors to interior designers to provide you with the best prices and service possible. Everyone attached to our website has been rigorously vetted and is made up of caring, knowledgeable professionals that work tirelessly to help you to make your home buying experience as stress-free as possible. Contact us today to see how we can help!  Sites We Follow Google Facebook Twitter

The Ins and Outs of a Home Inspection. What should you expect from a home inspection? Many people find themselves, at some point in their lives, involved with purchasing a home. It's one of the most expensive and biggest investments you'll ever make. For this reason, it is extremely important to know as much about your new house as possible. Buying a home is such a big decision that sometimes we forget about the little things. These little things can add up to big expenses to fix and that's where a home inspection comes in. So what does a home inspector do? A home inspector is a certified individual who goes through the house you're buying, top to bottom, and checks for any damage or problems that may have been previously overlooked. The inspector will look for not only visible signs of trouble but also hidden ones. The most common areas inspected are the roof, attic, basement, doors & windows, electrical systems, floors, insulation & ventilation, heating & cooling systems, plumbing and the foundation. Once you go through your new house with an inspector they will give you a report of all the items that may be causing problems or need fixing. The list will include both major and minor problems. After your report is issued you can make a decision whether or not to move forward with the purchase of the house as-is or ask for repairs that need immediate attention. Unless the house is listed as a fixer-upper in some way or another, most items on the list will be minor and those issues can wait until after you've moved in. Remember, no matter how good a house looks, don't skip the home inspection. Purchasing a house is one of the biggest financial decisions you can make in your life, so don't be rushed into it or let anyone pressure you into making a decision until after your inspection. Is an inspection the same as a home appraisal? No, an inspection is different than the appraisal process. The purpose of the inspecting stage is to identify visible issues in the home that are not readily apparent during a basic walk-through. An inspector will analyze these problems to determine if they need to be fixed before purchase or what kind of impact that item may have on its value. A home appraisal is a process of determining the home's fair market value. Its determination is commonly based on the location of the home and its condition. This appraisal process is the final formality before the closing of a home sale. The purpose of the inspection in evaluating the condition of a house before purchasing it in order to identify structural problems that an ordinary walk-through might not catch. The appraisal is when an appraiser calculates the fair market value of a property at present. The inspection looks deeper into how items work because they want to make sure there are no major issues with them or any danger lurking around for whoever moves into the home later. What does the term "structurally sound" mean when it comes to a home inspection report? When a home inspector says the structure is "sound", they are referring to how well the building's foundation, walls, floors, and ceilings are holding up. This can be thought of as the framework for your house. The implication is that there are no serious defects in any of these areas. The foundation is one of the most important parts of the structure. It is literally the foundation upon which the rest is built, so it needs to be in good shape. If it were cracked, sunken, or uneven then that would be a source of concern. Similarly, if there are large cracks in any of the walls or ceilings that house important plumbing fixtures like sinks and toilets, this could cause problems as well. Another part of structural soundness is the roof and its attachment to the rest of the house. A damaged, loose, or flat roof should be inspected and repaired before it becomes a serious problem that creates leaks and other damage inside your home. What are some things professional home inspectors will warn you about? Home inspections are usually requested by the buyers' real estate agents but they can be done by the seller as a pre-listing inspection. A thorough inspection, complete with a written report, will let the seller know all the things that could come up when a buyer does their own home inspection. It allows them to make necessary repairs long before a purchase agreement becomes a reality. Home inspection services are usually best sought after talking to a real estate agent that can give advice on which inspector to hire. A full inspection will go over safety issues, sewer lines, sufficient insulation, the HVAC system, electrical outlets, the electrical panel. Many home inspectors will go over minor issues to glean all the valuable information possible. Potential problems like water damage that can affect the home in the long term by causing structural issues in the long term will be high on the list. Serious issues when it comes to important purchases in a stressful process like the home buying process will have lasting repercussions. A new home will cost a lot more if the water heater needs replacing in a couple of months after the buyers move in. A qualified home inspector will relay the most important facts but it's important to get a thorough breakdown of issues pertaining to home maintenance. Questions to ask your inspector. If you have chronic health conditions, like asthma for example, your own inspector can look for issues with the air conditioning systems more thoroughly. If you need easy access to the home because of a mobility issue, then your inspector can put a greater emphasis on certain key structures. If there are any circumstances that set you apart from the average buyer when it comes to how you use a house the inspection should reflect that. One key thing people neglect is the roof, if you're worried about how the home reacts to inclement weather, especially for a lot of places in British Columbia, then ask your inspector to move that item to the top of the home inspection checklist. Potential buyers, especially when they are enamoured with a house, see the inspection as a formality but a home inspection can save home buyers tens of thousands in terms of repairs and far too many headaches when it comes to things like plumbing and electrical work. It's important to review the home inspection report before moving forward with a purchase. As your home inspector will pay special attention to the home, a buyer should pay the same intense attention to the potential issues that come with their new home. View All Homes For Sale in Greater Vancouver >>> About Search Home Listings SearchHomeListings.ca has simplified the home buying and selling process by giving you superior tools with up-to-the-minute information including active homes for sale, sold homes, market reports, and a home valuation tool! We have a team of success managers on standby to support you with setting up your saved home search and agents ready to take you out on a tour. Tap into our industry experts from inspectors, to contractors to interior designers to provide you with the best prices and service possible. Everyone attached to our website has been rigorously vetted and is made up of caring, knowledgeable professionals that work tirelessly to help you to make your home buying experience as stress-free as possible. Contact us today to see how we can help!  Sites We Follow Google Facebook Twitter

Do You Have The Right Setup at Home To Start Streaming? Live streams have become a normal part of so many people's lives. When the barrier to entry as a streamer is relatively low, having a good setup will help kickstart a channel from single-digit viewers to creating a community of viewers. There are a lot of variables when it comes to live streaming. From the choice of streaming platforms (Twitch first and foremost, YouTube live, and even Facebook Gaming if you like to go off the beaten path) to choosing the right digital camera or XLR microphone, and picking the kind of content they want to do, live streamers need to make multiple layers of decisions. This is not going to be a guide about the difference between a hardware encoder and a software encoder, an ultimate guide to chroma key filtering, or a step-by-step tutorial on how to set up your capture card. Here we will be talking about an often overlooked aspect of live streaming. Let's dive into how to create a nice livestream room. Where should your live streaming studio be in your home? A live streaming studio space requires a mix of a few different elements: good lighting, no interference or background noise, and access to a stable internet connection. Essentially, you're building a home studio and that requires not just space but the right space. A spare room right above a garage might be the best you can do when starting out but finding ways to improve that room so that you can have the cleanest possible audio and video sources will go a very long way. Keep in mind that streaming regularly is not the same thing as simply doing a live video on Facebook live from your phone. Even if your video content is fit for the Just Chatting category, a proper setup will help with both the sound quality and the stability of your stream. It's not just a question of getting a better upload speed or camera choices - you essentially have to be your own set designer. Lighting. A streaming setup with proper lighting is crucial Even if you are planning to become a VStreamer or won't have a representation of yourself on-stream aside from your voice, you still need a proper lighting setup. Many webcams these days are able to pump out some decent video quality, especially for small video output size or simply pick up on facial movements to animate an on-screen avatar. However, good lighting can drastically improve the appearance of a stream, even more so than a good camera. If you intend to use a green screen, abundant light is a necessity. You don't necessarily need an expensive ring light when starting up but having three light sources will help significantly. Try to position yourself and your camera so that you are lit from three separate directions. You want a key light in one spot to highlight the part of your face shown most prominently, a fill light so that the other side of your face isn't too dark to get picked up and a backlight to balance out the illumination from the previous two sources. Even if you have a DSLR camera, you will have to get used to spending some time tweaking your settings to get the right look. Ring lights tend to be very popular as key lights since they don't create an overbearing source of light. If you stream during the day, having some natural light in the background is a great idea too. Natural lighting is easier on both your own eyes and the eyes of the audience without the need for extensive visual tweaks in OBS studio or your live streaming software of choice. Low-light streaming channels are a creative choice. Still, many software encoders have trouble rendering good-looking low-light footage without creating annoying visual artifacts. It could be a good idea to work with filters that work for your live stream instead of plunging yourself in the dark in front of a bright screen for hours. Audio. Most webcams, modern webcams, have a built-in mic but if you spend any amount of time watching streaming content, you will know they do not have broadcast quality microphones. Poor microphone audio quality is one of the first things that will deter people from continuing to watch a small stream. Beyond buying high-quality audio equipment and fiddling with your audio interface while asking chat if they can hear you, having a good audio setup in your home studio is critical. Sound waves are fickle and, while managing your audio cables to make sure you don't unplug one of your XLR audio inputs by accident is important, using proper soundproofing can save you a lot of hours trying to mix audio. In this instance picking the right room to record in is very important but if you're stuck then what you need to do is protect the stream's audio sources. Cheap soundproofing, like this $20 6-pack panel, can do a lot of work when used in conjunction with something like RTX Voice. RTX Voice is free as long as you have an NVidia card and works like some sort of black magic but don't be tempted to forego investing in sound-proofing just because of it. Other accessories. A live stream is about personality first - well, maybe second after your stream key. Many people use bright neon lights behind them in gaming live streams but there are also people who play with a plushy on their lap, a display case of games or memorabilia in the background or displayed posters. There are also those who stream with about a dozen half-empty soda cups from Wendy's in plain view. Whatever your brand, just make it is authentic. Along with streaming using wi-fi, inauthenticity is one of the live streaming cardinal sins. If you are unsure of what to add to your background, that's perfectly fine. You can decorate your room as your stream grows with suggestions from your community. If you stream as a musician, an audio mixer can vastly improve the quality of your stream that gives you the ability to play with a specific audio source independently from the rest of your other audio sources. Beware of mess. When you pick the right place in your home to start streaming, one thing that can quickly get out of control is clutter and mess. Unless you're doing IRL streams where you walk around a city to capture video footage and random events, to live stream is to stay in view of a camera for hours on end. From empty takeout boxes to the tangled mess of wires created by all the accessories and critical elements like the multiple cameras for special angles - they can all devolve into a fire hazard. A live stream of a setup catching fire might make it to the top of Live StreamFails but it's not that entertaining when the fire is in your home. To prevent an accident like that on and off-stream, it's a good idea to have established a good setup from the start. It's easier to clean up or reduce the amount of mess if you have designed the space to facilitate that. What if you don't have a room where all these conditions are in place? Improvise. It's the quality that live-streaming demands. When a capture card fails, when the game hits a lull, it's time for improvisation. Waiting for perfection to stream is a recipe for a story that never begins. A green screen can help you hide a room that you're not particularly proud of, a decent microphone coupled with some minor noise gating software can help eliminate or dampen the sound of construction outside, and so on. A good live stream depends on the streamer, but spending the time to polish what you can with your live streaming studio - whatever the shape it takes - will help you gain and retain viewers. View All Homes For Sale in Greater Vancouver >>> About Search Home Listings SearchHomeListings.ca has simplified the home buying and selling process by giving you superior tools with up-to-the-minute information including active homes for sale, sold homes, market reports, and a home valuation tool! We have a team of success managers on standby to support you with setting up your saved home search and agents ready to take you out on a tour. Tap into our industry experts from inspectors, to contractors to interior designers to provide you with the best prices and service possible. Everyone attached to our website has been rigorously vetted and is made up of caring, knowledgeable professionals that work tirelessly to help you to make your home buying experience as stress-free as possible. Contact us today to see how we can help!  Sites We Follow Google Facebook Twitter

The Elements of "Modern" House Design. Modern architecture is sometimes synonymous with strange, cold, and unfeeling interiors made for robots to live in but the truth couldn't be further than that. The perception of modern architecture is the result of both personal taste, of course, and expectations about what a house should feel like. The truth is that a lot of modern house design images that people see are staged to appear as neutral and clean as possible. This isn't done to make you feel bad about the cleanliness of your home but to emphasize the modern aesthetic in a way that highlights its benefits. Crisp lines. Interior design reflects a mood, and the modern house wants to emphasize the crispness of its lines. These lines are an integral part of the style language, whether they're in the living room or adorning the exterior walls, there is little space for soft curves or fuzziness. It's not a war on curves, but rather one on rounded edges. Whether you like that is up to you, but modern houses espousing the idea of crisp lines do so to create an environment that feels clean and polished. Built-ins. To clear up even more space, built-ins do away with the centimetres lost to being unable to push a piece of furniture flat against a wall. A lot of modern design is about reclaiming space taken up by the superfluous. This applies to every room in the house from the bathrooms to the bedrooms. Instead of filling empty space with plush cushions, it's left for the owners to wander through and live in. Built-ins are a natural off-shoot from the ideals of modern design. Minimizing space requirements, adhering to a clean and simple style, and letting the entire room shine instead of pulling the attention. Simplicity. You won't find crown moulding along the top of the walls or excessive details on the chairs or stairs. Modern home aesthetics steer away from features that break up lines excessively. Flat surfaces are left uninterrupted for as long as possible while furnishings with big tassels or furniture with intricately carved wood are left in a storage unit somewhere. It's all about making a space that's easy to understand quickly without too many, as some architects or interior designers would put it, distractions. Of course, that's not for everyone. Sharp corners and the lack of plush patterned chairs can invite a sense of unease or 'catalogue-living'. Still, modern aesthetics are not necessarily 'cold' because of that simplicity. If you're looking for visual texture, instead of finding it in embroidered patterns on chairs or rugs, you'll find it in the touch and feel of the fabric used for a sofa, for example. The contrast that people themselves bring to the simple and clean lines will immediately make a space feel far livelier. While it might seem like a quick job for the architect involved in the construction of a new house, there are a lot of things to take into account for modern home projects. Built for light. The simplicity and crisp lines are not stylistic choices that stand alone. Both of these contribute to making the home feel bigger by optimizing the amount of natural light the home takes in. When you look at modern house design, it might feel jarring to see rigid lines for the exteriors or how windows fill an entire facade. In that instance, modern architecture can feel alienating but there's a reason why those spaces are designed the way they are. Large windows mean more light, and sunlight plays a huge part in how a room feels and our physical and mental health. Neutral colours. You could easily make the joke that the modern home is built on five shades of brown and grey. The truth though is that you will find many modern homes with dashes of yellow or blue, rooms with a cohesive colour palette tastefully shattered by a wonderful painting or a moss wall as a focal point. A dining room in a modern house can be an exercise in counting colours but that can easily be remedied by taking a look at another part of the modern design aesthetic. Emphasis on materials. It would be a little plain to just have muted neutral colours all over the place, and that's why emphasizing the materials used in the building of the furniture is one of the key aspects of modern design. While traditional design will often have carved and painted wood, modern design will feature materials cut in clean lines without an added layer of paint. Materials like concrete, aluminum, glass, wood, stone, and steel get to shine through without being covered up. Wood adds colour variation and a warm touch to any room. Free of paint, it stands out from the other materials inside the home and on the outside brings some much-needed contrast with the concrete and steel. Open-floor plans. Like we mentioned before, in modern house designs, a flat surface keeps going uninterrupted until it needs to stop - and what better way to fulfill that key element's need than having an open floor plan? An open floor plan is a design in which all the common living spaces of a house are connected to one another, with no walls or doors separating them. This allows for greater flexibility in how the space can be used and can make the home feel larger. All those clean lines help with creating distinct spaces by using the furniture and furnishings with their straight sharp lines to frame specific zones. The neutral colours make it easier to coordinate where the splashes of colour should land. And taking down those walls means that it's easier for light to spread throughout a room. But it's not for everyone. Modern architecture gets a bad rap more often than not. For good reason sometimes, it's hard to see a warm family home with all that edge and beige. That doesn't that the concept is flawed. If you're interested in what life could look like in one of those houses, it won't hurt to talk to a real estate agent in your area. Whether you're already all aboard the modern design train or unconvinced about it, maybe a walk through a sun-soaked home with clean, open spaces will be what you need to pull the trigger.     View All Homes For Sale in Greater Vancouver >>> About Search Home Listings SearchHomeListings.ca has simplified the home buying and selling process by giving you superior tools with up-to-the-minute information including active homes for sale, sold homes, market reports, and a home valuation tool! We have a team of success managers on standby to support you with setting up your saved home search and agents ready to take you out on a tour. Tap into our industry experts from inspectors, to contractors to interior designers to provide you with the best prices and service possible. Everyone attached to our website has been rigorously vetted and is made up of caring, knowledgeable professionals that work tirelessly to help you to make your home buying experience as stress-free as possible. Contact us today to see how we can help!  Sites We Follow Google Facebook Twitter

Renting on Airbnb? Read These Tips First. As people are starting to move around more, vacation rentals are picking up speed and more bookings than before. If you intended to become an Airbnb host, you will be competing on the most used platform for short-term rentals. That comes with its advantages and disadvantages. Having your own website is only a good idea if you are the property manager for multiple properties but the listing for an Airbnb property is where most of your work is going to go toward. The vacation rental industry was in a rough spot for a while but with ever higher vaccination rates people will feel safer going out for short stints to get away from their day-to-day. Get a good location. The most important thing for an Airbnb listing is whether the Airbnb rental property is somewhere that people want to visit. Before you start hosting, put yourself in the shoes of your target guests. The first thing they will be looking up is the location of the short-term rental. While some people may just need somewhere to sleep, going forward with this idea in mind will mean a lower nightly price than what you are aiming for. Great Airbnb hosts find a way to make a location shine. Make sure your property is in great condition and up to date with all necessary amenities. When people are looking for a short-term rental, they don't want to rely on their phone's mobile plan for the internet. A great way to deter people from booking your Airbnb rental is to prevent potential guests from having access to necessary things like laundry, internet and a decent kitchen. If the location you secured does not have those amenities, people will bounce off of your Airbnb listings very quickly. An Airbnb business, like all businesses, requires some investment. It's a bad idea to expect people to settle for your listing when another property offers more amenities. The price of the investment can multiply the returns on the vacation home you're offering. Design a great listing. Make sure to create a complete listing where you inform potential renters about an outdoor area, free parking, and your flexible cancellation policy. Your property description should sell your property while telling the truth. Use the best photo you have of the property as the first picture. If you're renting out a property by the beach, make sure to feature a bright sunny picture that shows off both the home and its proximity to the beach and ocean. The short-term rental business is a hyper-competitive contest between listings and where photos are the first point of contact. One thing many people look for is space. When you're taking pictures or when arranging the furniture in the listing, be sure not to crowd it out. A big part of comfort is the ease of moving around. To stand out from the search results, a stunning view of your rental property is essential. Pick the best thing about it and use that image as the first on the Airbnb listing, on your own website, and on social media when trying to find potential guests. Speaking of social media, don't underestimate it. Advertise the rental on social media. Before you can get your first reviews, you first need guests. To that end, try to sniff out a Facebook page in your area that tourists would most likely use. A well-placed, well-timed Facebook post can help you break through the initial issues everyone has when first starting out. Before you post though, make sure that you clean up your social media presence without denaturing it. Many vacationers tend to be careful about who they do business with and will look up the hosts. Remain yourself but pick a wholesome picture for your cover photo on Facebook instead of one born out of a night you don't remember. Keep your social media pages relatively clean and it should help with creating trust with potential tenants. Bonus points if you use a recognizable picture on both your social media and your Airbnb account. Social media platforms can lead to business but be sure to stay tuned to the house rules of a Facebook page you're tempted to post in. How to get positive reviews. Your Airbnb listing will get more bookings than others when your guests have a great experience. Guest reviews are one of the biggest drivers that get people to book a stay. Just as one glowing review can get you more bookings, a bad one can tank your rating and with that the number of people willing to give you a chance. A quick way to know what guests want and what they value is to do some snooping. Go to competing listings and read the reviews. Here's what a lot of people value: clear contact details, responsiveness, a personal touch, and a sense of care. Emulate the best vacation rental policies as much as you can. Offering weekly and monthly discounts or giving special bonuses for a holiday season can help set you apart from other listings. Getting more bookings is often a question of offering more quality for the same amount of money. Breaking out from the pack when you just started can be tough but incurring a loss in the very early stages to establish your presence as a good host can see you soar through the rankings of the website. When you get your first few bookings, do everything you can to give your guests the best time possible. If there's a problem with a shower or if there is an issue with a mattress, you need to acknowledge their issue quickly and deal with it swiftly. Should something go wrong, a bottle of wine or something similar accompanied by a sincere apology can get you a better review than if everything goes well. If you've done everything from taking great pictures to remodelling but still can't figure out how to make your Airbnb listing more enticing, then it's time to look at obtaining some feedback. 5. Collect feedback from guests after they stay so you can improve your listing for future renters An Airbnb listing for a vacation rental lives or dies based on the experience of your guests. Pay attention to the words in guest reviews, these can clue you in to what is missing from your Airbnb listing or what they appreciated. Don't take the reviews personally if they seem harsh, remember that your review scores affect your livelihood. If you can respond to a negative review with a simple apology, an offer to help out their next trip, and a promise to work on any issues, you can turn an unhappy customer into one who returns. 6. Track your progress and keep your listings active at all times   Whenever you set out to start something new or grow something long-running, it is of utmost importance that you track your progress. Airbnb itself keeps track of your history and you can find that through your Airbnb profile. However, it's best to keep your own records to see whether your rentals are going well or if the competition is catching up. See if you need to add services or amenities to stay competitive or if you can afford to charge more money based on what your Airbnb listing provides over the next best vacation rental. View All Homes For Sale in Greater Vancouver >>> About Search Home Listings SearchHomeListings.ca has simplified the home buying and selling process by giving you superior tools with up-to-the-minute information including active homes for sale, sold homes, market reports, and a home valuation tool! We have a team of success managers on standby to support you with setting up your saved home search and agents ready to take you out on a tour. Tap into our industry experts from inspectors, to contractors to interior designers to provide you with the best prices and service possible. Everyone attached to our website has been rigorously vetted and is made up of caring, knowledgeable professionals that work tirelessly to help you to make your home buying experience as stress-free as possible. Contact us today to see how we can help!  Sites We Follow Google Facebook Twitter

Is Moving Into a Condo When You Have a House Crazy? What is a condo? People often think they know what something means but then go on without actually understanding what it actually means, so to prevent that, let's go over what a condominium is. A condo is a type of living situation where the residents own their individual residential unit in a large building but share ownership of common areas with the other residents. Condos are different from apartments because condominiums are bought, either through a mortgage or outright. Apartments are rented by a landlord to a tenant, there is no ownership involved for someone who is renting a space. The difference resides purely in the way ownership works. Many buildings feature either condominiums or apartments but rarely both because of conflicts with regard to the common spaces. Living in an apartment does not necessarily mean dealing with a smaller space. Both apartments and condos can have access to things like swimming pools or tennis courts. Differences between homeowners and condo owners. First-time homebuyers often come across the option of buying a condo but back off for a variety of reasons. Single-family homes are often treated as the holy grail, the pinnacle of homeownership while condos are seen as stepping stones but is that true for everyone? Let's look at some fees. For a single-family house, the owners may need to become part of a homeowner's association that dictates many things about the exterior maintenance of a home. This is not so different from the condo board but, unlike HOA rules, can even affect the interior of the condo unit. For homes, HOA fees are completely optional while condo fees are not. Monthly condo fees are used by condo associations for building upkeep and condo residents get to vote on how these maintenance costs are distributed - to a certain extent. On the other hand, home maintenance for homeowners is something that is left completely to their whim. Condo complexes tend to foster a supportive community and promote activities that help people socialize. A single-family home will not nudge people to socialize in any capacity. To buy a house is to buy a private space and that includes distance from your neighbours. Many condos create a planned community where like-minded people gather, condo life is one where owners trade some privacy and share walls in the interest of creating a more communal way of living. Homeowners enjoy more freedom when it comes to doing what they want with their property but miss out on the quirks, benefits, and cons of condo living. Why would someone move from a house to a condo? Condo communities may seem strange and condo ownership is not as valuable when it comes to climbing the rungs of the property ladder but there are many ways in which living in a condo can be the right thing to do. Lessened personal responsibility for maintenance. The freedom that comes with owning one's own home also comes with all the responsibility. If something breaks or needs to be changed, the owner needs to deal with all of the maintenance fees as well as spend the time looking for the right person to do the job. This applies to things like lawn care, a leaky roof, a creaking front door, and so on. A condo owner, however, can rely on the condo corporation to take care of maintenance issues. Different condo buildings have different ways of resolving maintenance issues but less maintenance burden falls upon a single person. Location is more important for the owner. A detached house in the core of Vancouver would be absurdly expensive and, while still expensive, deciding to buy a condo is much more realistic. Condos tend to be a great option for those able to get out of renting but who still love being in the centre of a city. Since a condo allows people to build equity as well, it makes them the perfect middle ground in real estate between renting an apartment and owning a house. Nightlife, proximity to work, easy access to public transportation in a dense city centre can make the value of a condo appreciate a good deal for the right buyer. Special circumstances. World travellers that would not spend much time in a house see condos as a way to make their life easier in the long run. Since the condo association deals with the upkeep of common areas, it makes it easier to return to a well-kept living area. A house requires the homeowner to either hire someone to take care of the house or trust a family member to do so. An apartment is simply a drain on resources while it is unoccupied. Meanwhile, paying down a mortgage for a condo will build equity even if left empty. Things to consider before moving into a condo. If you have a house already. The first thing you need to think of is what you're going to do with your existing house. Maybe moving further out of the city was a mistake you're trying to correct or maybe your commute has turned to hell after some unexpected changes. Either way, the first question is what you will need to do in order to not ruin your financial health. If you are willing to rent out your house, you can use the monthly income to pay for the mortgage payment needed to buy the condo. This would also allow you to keep building equity in your home while you get to live the life you want in your condo. You could also sell your house to afford a bigger down payment for a luxury condo. This all-in approach can be risky, so make sure you do the research into the condo owners and the property management company. If you do intend to move into a condo, think of what you're going to do with your furniture. Storage facilities have a monthly cost and it's risky to think that all your furniture can fit into a condo. If you're deciding between a condo and a house. The truth is that many people feel drawn to the single-family home because of what it represents. It's stability and a sign of maturity to some people's eyes but does that apply to you? There are many things that can make a condo more appealing to an individual than a house. No shovelling snow, quicker access to the city for the same price, easier access to amenities like a pool or a gym. Think about how much space you really need and whether a condo would be more than enough for your current plans. Is moving into a condo crazy when you already have a home? No. It's a valid decision but one that needs to be thought through. The real estate market is complicated and opaque but just because you made the decision to live in a house before does not mean that buying a condo is a downgrade. The best thing to do is to talk to a real estate agent to figure out the best course of action. Life is too short to pay for a mortgage you regret. View All Homes For Sale in Greater Vancouver >>> About Search Home Listings SearchHomeListings.ca has simplified the home buying and selling process by giving you superior tools with up-to-the-minute information including active homes for sale, sold homes, market reports, and a home valuation tool! We have a team of success managers on standby to support you with setting up your saved home search and agents ready to take you out on a tour. Tap into our industry experts from inspectors, to contractors to interior designers to provide you with the best prices and service possible. Everyone attached to our website has been rigorously vetted and is made up of caring, knowledgeable professionals that work tirelessly to help you to make your home buying experience as stress-free as possible. 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