Please come with any questions you may have. In the meantime you can take a virtual tour of this Fraserview NW Townhouse for sale.

As always please do not hesitate to give me a call at 604.263.2823 if I can answer any questions before the open house, or if you would like to book a private showing.

Lynn Chamberlain
Remax Real Estate Services

Please come with any questions you may have. In the meantime you can take a virtual tour of this Hamilton RI Townhouse for sale.

As always please do not hesitate to give me a call at 604.263.2823 if I can answer any questions before the open house, or if you would like to book a private showing.

Lynn Chamberlain
Remax Real Estate Services

Please come with any questions you may have. In the meantime you can take a virtual tour of this Queensborough House for sale.

As always please do not hesitate to give me a call at 604.263.2823 if I can answer any questions before the open house, or if you would like to book a private showing.

Lynn Chamberlain
Remax Real Estate Services

Please come with any questions you may have. In the meantime you can take a virtual tour of this Queensborough House for sale.

As always please do not hesitate to give me a call at 604.263.2823 if I can answer any questions before the open house, or if you would like to book a private showing.

Lynn Chamberlain
Remax Real Estate Services

Please come with any questions you may have. In the meantime you can take a virtual tour of this Queensborough House for sale.

As always please do not hesitate to give me a call at 604.263.2823 if I can answer any questions before the open house, or if you would like to book a private showing.

Lynn Chamberlain
Remax Real Estate Services

Please come with any questions you may have. In the meantime you can take a virtual tour of this Queensborough House for sale.

As always please do not hesitate to give me a call at 604.263.2823 if I can answer any questions before the open house, or if you would like to book a private showing.

Lynn Chamberlain
Remax Real Estate Services

Please come with any questions you may have. In the meantime you can take a virtual tour of this Queensborough House for sale.

As always please do not hesitate to give me a call at 604.263.2823 if I can answer any questions before the open house, or if you would like to book a private showing.

Lynn Chamberlain
Remax Real Estate Services

How do you find that out?

A good REALTOR® will look at a variety of characteristics to determine the current market

value of your home. These will include the number of bedrooms/bathrooms, the condition of the kitchen and basement, the type/style of the home, location and neighbourhood. These characteristics will then be used to identify similar homes in the area and determine how much they have sold for recently.

Interested in finding out how much your home will sell for? Call today.

For the homeowners, it’s a nightmare.

That’s why it’s so important to select a reputable renovator – one who has the experience and track record to do the job right.

How do you do that? Here are a few tips:

• Make sure the contractor can give you the full name, address and phone number of his company. If he only has a truck and a cell phone, that’s a red flag.

• Ask him to provide you with the names of at least three customers he’s done work for in the area. (Then phone those references!)

• Some specialty contractors, such as kitchen and bath renovators, are certified or licensed by a professional trade association. Ask the contractor for credentials.

• Beware of contractors who offer you a lower price if you pay cash. They’re probably trying to avoid taxes, which suggests that they’re not entirely honest.

• Make sure the renovator has experience with your specific type of project.

• Search for the company on Google.com. If there are any customer complaints online, you’ll find them in the search results.

• Don’t hire the first contractor you meet, regardless of how impressed you are. Speak to at least three. Ask lots of questions. Take your time.

Finally, use your common sense. If you don’t have a good feeling about the contractor or if they don’t give you clear answers to basic questions about pricing, schedule, and warranty, then move on

Not a pretty picture.

Yet, if you can look past all that, the property might just well be a diamond in the rough. A garage can be cleaned out, carpets replaced. In fact, the home could well be just a few improvements away from being a gem.

So when shopping for a new home, give any bad first impressions you have a second chance. A property you may not have liked initially could end up being your dream home.

When you’re viewing homes, you want to make sure that the experience is enjoyable (rather than stressful) and that you get all the information you need to make the right decision.

To help you do that, here are a list of items you should consider taking with you:

• A notepad. Have something with you so you can take notes – a pad of paper, laptop computer, iPad, even a voice recorder.

• Flashlight. Just in case there is an area in a home that is not well lit, such as the furnace room.

• Maps. Map out your route in advance. This will reduce a lot of potential stress.

• Water and snacks. If you’re viewing more than two properties, take some healthy refreshments with you, rather than relying on fast food restaurants. These will help keep your energy level up. (This is especially important if you’re taking kids with you.)

• A plan. Don’t just view properties randomly. Work out an itinerary in advance. This will help you make the most of your time.

Want more tips on making your home hunting experience less stressful and more productive? Call today.

You consider the backyard. “Hmm,” you think. “Doesn’t our deck need a new finish and our flowerbed need new edging stones?”

Then you think about the basement. “The carpeting. It’s old. We really should replace it. We should install a new drop ceiling, too.”

Then the main floor. “Our kitchen cabinets are old. We should get a contractor in to quote on replacing them. How about a brand new shiny sink and faucet? That should increase the resale value of our home, shouldn’t it?”

Before you know it, you have a long list of updates, repairs and renovations that you think you should be doing, and you haven’t even started on the second floor!

It’s easy to get carried away with preparing your home to be listed, and end up spending a lot more money than you’ll ever get back from the
eventual sale.

So how do you determine what improvements you should be making in order to get your property ready for the market?

That’s easy. Talk to a good REALTOR®.

A REALTOR® who knows the local market can inspect your property and advise you on the repairs and upgrades you need to make. He or she will know what buyers are looking for, and will also have a good idea of the return on investment you can expect from a particular improvement.

He or she may also be able to recommend reputable tradespeople and other professionals to assist you in making those improvements.

So go ahead and make that long list. Then, review it with your REALTOR® so you can make an informed decision on how to get your property ready for sale.

But you don’t have to do a full “tear-down- the-walls” type of renovation to upgrade the look of a room. In fact, just a few minor improvements can make a big difference.

For example, upgrading wall plates is an easy and inexpensive way to add a lot more style and personality to a room.
In the kitchen, installing new hardware on existing cabinets can have a dramatic impact. So look around your house to determine where small improvements could make a big difference.

But it also makes sense to shop for the right neighborhood.

Think about it. In what type of area would you most like to live? What neighborhood features do you want most? For example, you may want your next neighborhood to have a good high school, a nearby recreation center, and close access to public transit.

Make a list of what you want and then go “shopping” by visiting neighborhoods that meet your criteria.

Your next home is more than just a property; it’s a dream home in a desirable location.

But how do you decide if you should actually move?

The first step is to consider whether there are any practical reasons to consider buying a new home. What’s pushing you in that direction?

•            Is your current home too small for your needs?

•            Is the commute to work, for you or your spouse, too long? (Perhaps longer than you expected when you purchased the home?)

•            Are there property features you would now like to have, such as a larger backyard or a more spacious kitchen?

•            Has the neighborhood changed in an undesirable way?

•            Do you have personal reasons for wanting to move, such as a desire to be closer to relatives in another area?

Carefully consider those things that can’t change unless you move. For example, if a major highway was recently built near you, the ongoing sound of traffic isn’t going to go away. It’s now part of the neighborhood.

If there are no practical reasons for moving, there may still be other reasons for wanting a new home. You may want to move your family to a better neighborhood, with better schools or you may simply want a bigger home, with a larger backyard, more rooms, and a wider driveway.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with simply wanting a better place than the one you have now. In fact, that is a common reason why many people make a move.

The point is, if you’ve been thinking about a new home for awhile, perhaps now is the time to take the next step. A good REALTOR® can help you understand your options.

Looking for a good REALTOR®? Call today.

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”
Michael Althsuler

“Winners take time to relish their work, knowing that scaling the mountain is what makes the view from the top so exhilarating.”
Denis Waitley

You’ve probably heard about home staging. It involves decorating your home so that it looks attractive to potential buyers.

“Staging” can be as simple as cleaning and decluttering, or as elaborate as making each room look like it’s part of a high-end model home.

There’s no doubt that staging can help sell your home faster, and for a better price. The question is whether you need a professional home stager to help you.

That depends on a lot of factors. Your home may already look great, or it may need some extensive staging to make it look its best to potential buyers.

Those are the unmistakable signs that a family is living in the house.

But does that “lived in” look appeal to home buyers?

In most cases, no.

Home buyers know, of course, that a family still lives in the home. But if you have constant reminders of that throughout your property, some buyers will feel like intruding strangers.

So when preparing your home for sale, remember: buyers want to visualize themselves living in the home, not you.

There are many things you can do to make the home shopping process go smoothly and accomplish what you want: finding the home of your dreams at a price you can afford.

Here are some ideas:

• Get pre-approved. Find out from your bank or lender how much you qualify to borrow. That will give you confidence when home shopping, because you’ll know that, should you find the right property, financing won‘t be a problem.

• Make a list. Write down everything you want in a new home. The obvious items include the number of bedrooms, size of backyard, location, etc. But also list not-so-obvious features, such as walking distance to public transit and the potential for a large recreation room in the basement.

• Take a camera. After seeing a few homes, you may not remember every important feature and characteristic. So be sure to take pictures (where allowed) of the properties you view as well as the neighbourhoods. They’ll be invaluable when shortlisting potential properties later on.

• Keep an open mind. There’s probably an ideal home available for you on the market. But it might not be exactly what you had originally envisioned. So try to be flexible when considering potential homes. If, for example, a property doesn’t have a big deck for entertaining, you can always have one built.

• Take care of yourself and your family. When you’re viewing properties, bring some healthy snacks and water with you. Take regular breaks, especially when you’re seeing multiple homes.

And don’t see too many properties at a time especially if you’re bringing young children with you.

Also, find a good REALTOR® to help you. He or she can make the home shopping process go smoothly.