Appraisals

Developers

Home & Garden

Home Inspections

Home Insurance

Home Insurance Adjusters

Mortgages

Moving

Notaries Public

Property Management

Real Estate Agents>

Storage

Tips for Buying and Selling a Home

How much of a mortgage can I afford for my new home?

• your gross household income
• your down payment and
• the current mortgage rates. 

Tips for Selling your Home

Fix what needs to be fixed first

If you know of any improvements that are needed, do the work first, before it goes on the market, this includes even the small things like leaky faucets.  Potential buyers are not interested in the promise of you fixing small defects; good intentions do not sell homes.  Even if fix-up work is underway, buyers may not be able to visualize what the home will look like when the work is completed, what they will remember is that the home was in a state of disrepair.

Professional Inspection:  Yes of No?

Today most serious buyers are required by their mortgage lenders to have a professional home inspector check the house from top to bottom before financing is approved.  Doing this for them, before you have an offer saves the potential buyer work and money and can help you identify problems on your own.  This is your best way to find and take care of serious defects before your potential buyer discovers them.

The Homeowners Checklist

Outside

• Remove any clutter from your yard and carport.
• Repair cracked or uneven driveway or walkway surfaces.
• Remove any weeds or growth from driveway or walkway surfaces.
• If your lawn has bald spots, re-seed, prune trees and shrubs of dead wood,  weed and mulch flower beds.  During the correct seasons, consider buying some flower-filled planters to enhance the eye appeal of your property.  Make sure your lawn in mowed at all times and ensure that the composting area is tidy.
• Clean all windows and walls, if necessary pressure wash the outside walls.
• Make sure the front door is not in need of repair or paint.
• Clean all eaves and downspouts and insure they are in good repair.
• Are all your walkways clean and clear? Power wash, and paint or repair where necessary.
• If you have a swimming pool, when in season are the deck and pool areas clean and clear of debris?  When not in season is the pool cover in good shape and placed correctly.
• Are all outside lights in good working order? Replace any burned out bulbs, clean fixtures of dirt and cobwebs.
• If you have a shed, is it presentable?
• Do windows and exterior doors need re-caulking?  Even at 6–7 years of age, the caulking may be dried out and in need of replacement.
• If you have any fences or a gate, are they in good repair and working properly?

Roof and Chimney

Don’t worry about having to climb onto the roof to inspect it.  If you are uncomfortable about doing this, just grab a pair of binoculars and do it from the ground.  If you do choose to go onto the roof be careful.  If a roof repair is simple no problem, however if it is in need of more work than just applying new caulking, it would be wise to hire a professional to do the big stuff.

• Check the general condition of your roof.  Sagging sections, curled shingles, pooled water on flat roofs and corrosion on metal roofing mean it is time for repair or replacement. Make sure all through roof fixtures like pipes are not in need of re-caulking and the fascia on the roof structure is not rotted and in need of painting.
• Both masonry and metal chimneys need to be straight and structurally sound, have proper capping on top and watertight flashing were they penetrate the roof, also make sure the chimney is cleaned on the inside for fire protection.
• All roofs undergo stress from snow and rain loads, so a truss or rafter may become damaged, resulting in a noticeable small depression, a professional should do this inexpensive repair.

Exterior Walls

• Replace old caulking.  You may have to cut or scrape away old caulking to get a good seal?  Are your drainage or ventilation gaps clear of debris.
• Is your exterior paint in good repair? If you see faded colours and cracked or peeling surfaces, you need to repair or touch up. 
• Vinyl siding can be cleaned with a pressure washer, but defects or damage to it and to metal siding usually means replacement.
• Stucco can be repaired but some skill is required to blend patches with existing stucco.

Indoors

If you have a lot of family memorabilia, consider thinning it out for the time.  Your objective is to help potential buyers feel as if they could live in your home; this mental leap becomes more difficult for them if your house resembles a shrine to your family.

The Rest of the Inside

• Check stairs for loose boards, ripped carpeting, and missing or loose handrails and guards.
• Most problems with interior walls are cosmetic and can be repaired with spackling and compound paint.
• Ensure doors open and shut properly.  Minor sticking is normal but excessive binding indicates possible structural problems.
• Open and close all windows to ensure they work properly.  Fogging between the panes of a sealed window indicates the seal is broken and the unit needs to be replaced.
• Keep furniture to a minimum so rooms do not appear smaller than they are.  Ensure that traffic can flow through rooms unimpeded.  If they contain bookshelves or cabinets overflowing with books, magazines and knick-knacks, remove some of these items.
• Ensure closets look spacious, organized an uncluttered.  Create space by getting rid of old clothes and junk.
• Remove or lock away valuables such as jeweler, coins, currency, cameras and compact disks.

Kitchen and Bathrooms

• With people splashing water around the kitchen and bathrooms you need to check around the sinks, tubs and toilets for rotting countertops and floors.  Problems could be due to poor caulking or plumbing leaks.  Fogged windows, molds and sweating toilet tanks usually indicate high humidity levels, which can be remedied with exhaust fans.
• In the kitchen, clean all appliances, including inside your oven and fridge.  Clean or replace your greasy stove hood filter.  Clean and organize your cabinets inside and out, as well as your countertops and back splashes, repair any dripping faucets.
• Remove anything stored on top of your fridge and remove artwork and magnets.
• Remove any items stored on countertops.
• Remove items stored under the sink.
• In the bathrooms, scrub sinks, tubs and toilets, taking care to remove any rust stains.  Remove mildew from showers and bathtubs.  Fix dripping faucets or trickling toilets, and vacuum your fan grill.
• Clean mirrors, light switch plates and cupboard handles.
• Consider installing a new 6 litre toilet if you currently have water-guzzlers.
• If you have ceramic tile in either your kitchen or bathroom, ensure grouting is intact and clean.

Basement

• Look for cracks, water seepage, efflorescence (white powder-like substance), crumbling mortar or concrete, and rotting wood.  If any of these problems are present, you need to do further research to learn about causes and possible solutions.
• If you basement is damp or musty, consider using a dehumidifier.
• Like all other areas of your home, your basement should be organized and clutter-free.
• Change the filters in the furnace and have all ducts cleaned-this is the number one item purchasers want done after a home inspection.
• If you have a pet with a letterbox, ensure the litter box is clean.

Garage

• Get rid of the broken tools, old car parts, discarded bicycles, empty paint cans and the hundreds of other useless items that accumulate in garages.  Again, you want a clutter-free zone.
• Remove oil stains from the floor.

Showtime!

• Open all drapes, blinds, etc. and turn on lights to make the house bright.
• Air out the house to get rid of cooking, pet odors, and so on.
• Have fresh flowers prominently displayed.
• Pick up any additional clutter, and empty all garbage cans.
• Make sure everything is spotless.
• Set your thermostat at a comfortable level.
• Remove pets from the house or put them outside.
• If you have an agent, leave when the house is being shown.  If you are selling yourself, you need to strike a balance between being helpful and crowding the buyer.
• In poor weather, provide the place for boots, overshoes and umbrellas.
• Display photos of the house in summer to show landscaping if selling in the winter months.
• Leave on the table heating and hydro bills.
• For those on a septic system and/or well, leave out inspection and maintenance information.