Buying a Home?
If you are considering a move, fill out this form and we will contact you with the results!
Client information collected on this site will be used by Agents and representatives of this office only as necessary to facilitate professional and competent service and follow-up with our clients. Your information will never be passed on to or sold to any other person or company.
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Tips for Buyers
Buying a home can be one of life’s most fulfilling experiences, as well as one of the most daunting - from selecting a real estate professional to deciding what type of home you can afford. The more prepared you are, the less overwhelming the buying process will be.
Selecting a Real Estate Professional
You will find a valuable ally in your CENTURY 21® real estate professional, who is trained and committed to answering all of your questions and providing the highest quality of services and expert advice possible. Benefit from their expertise, be informed and prepared by gleaning information about not only properties and the market place, but lenders, types of mortgages, home inspections and appraisals as well. Our Agents and support staff are dedicated to providing friendly, knowledgeable service to help take the anxiety out of your home buying experience, leaving you comfortable with your final decision and giving you the peace of mind you deserve.
While you are house hunting, keep these things in mind:
- proximity to schools can be a good resale feature of your
home in the future
- is it necessary to be close to public transit or other amenities
- are the layout and size of the home suitable for your family’s
needs, or will costly renovations or expansion be required
· Make the first impression count!
- hose down the sidewalk and driveway, in the winter, clean away snow & ice
- trim lawn & hedges, remove weeds from cracks in walkway
- reseed bare patches in lawn
- secure loose shingles & repair loose eavestroughs
- fix the doorbell
- how does the front door look? Does it need to be
scrubbed, or freshened up with a coat of paint?
- Replace
any hardware that’s broken
- keep the foyer clean & free of clutter
- Replace burned out bulbs
Selling your Home?
If you would like a FREE Market Evaluation please fill out the form below and we will contact you with the results.
Client information collected on this site will be used by Agents and representatives of this office only as necessary to facilitate professional and competent service and follow-up with our clients. Your information will never be passed on to or sold to any other person or company.
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Tips for Sellers
The process of selling your home can be one of life’s most challenging experiences. The more prepared you are, the less overwhelming the selling process will be. Little things can mean a lot - look around your house as if you are seeing it for the first time and make a list of things that might discourage a potential buyer. A few small inexpensive steps could give your house the advantage over competing homes in your neighborhood and increase your chances for a quick sale.
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Make the first impression count!
- hose down the sidewalk and driveway, in the winter, clean away snow & ice
- trim lawn & hedges, remove weeds from cracks in walkway
- reseed bare patches in lawn
- secure loose shingles & repair loose eavestroughs
- fix the doorbell
- how does the front door look? Does it need to be
scrubbed, or freshened up with a coat of paint? Replace
any hardware that’s broken
- keep the foyer clean & free of clutter
- Replace burned out bulbs
- Repaint damaged trim and touch-up scuffed woodwork around doors and windows
- Clean and repair windows and screens
- Check your curtains & drapes - if you don’t want to wash them, a quick swipe across them with the proper vacuum attachment might freshen them up
- Oil squeaky doors & plane doors that stick
- Tighten loose door knobs
- Spot clean dirty finger prints from walls and door jambs
- Dispose of excess garbage in the house & yard
- Repair leaky taps & toilets (they give the impression of worn plumbing)
- Repair damaged caulking or missing tiles in the tub or shower
- Clean kitchen appliances inside & out
- Remove clutter from kitchen counters & telephone centers
- Clean or replace dirty or worn welcome mat or other floor mats
- Clean exterior of laundry appliances & keep dirty laundry out of sight
- Clean out unnecessary clutter in closets, attic, basement, crawl space & garage - Buyers appreciate storage space, but if it’s full, they’re less likely to see it
- Clean carpets
- If a potential buyer will be viewing your home today
- Clean bathrooms until they sparkle & hang clean towels
- Shine the kitchen sink
- Freshen the air by using carpet & upholstery deodorizing spray, or achieve a pleasant aroma by boiling cinnamon sticks in water
- During the day - leave drapes / curtains open - the natural light makes a home bright & cheery
- In the evening - turn all of the lights on - inside & out
- Make arrangements for your pets to be absent, or at least out of the way
- Arrange to go out during the showing so that the potential buyers do not feel rushed and can have adequate time to fully appreciate your home
Moving Checklist
A move can be a hectic process if it is not well planned. To
help make your move a little smoother, whether your move
is across town or out of the province, we have accumulated
some “reminders”:
- If you are hiring a mover - get estimates, compare apples
with apples - some companies will not move certain articles;
find out how they charge - flat or hourly rate; who does the
packing?
- If you are renting a moving truck - is that truck guaranteed
to be there on moving day? Be careful - you may have to
travel to another city to pick up the truck, even if you booked
it months in advance.
- Check with your insurance broker to ensure that your
belongings will be covered during transit
- Get boxes or packing containers
- Have a garage sale, give away or discard unnecessary belongings
- Make arrangements with utility companies as soon as possible and then call to confirm a few days before the move
- Order cheques with your new address
- Give address change information to the post office & prepare address change cards to send out to friends, relatives and companies that you deal with such as telephone, insurance, mail order clubs, book & record clubs, gas, electricity, water & sewer, fuel, city tax dept, newspapers, magazines, doctor, dentist, lawyer, accountant, vet, cable / satellite T.V., motor vehicle branch, credit card companies
- Transfer or resign memberships in clubs or associations
- Get school records to transfer to new school
- Get all medical, dental, birth, baptism & marriage records
- Transfer prescriptions for drugs and eyeglasses
- Transfer house, car & personal insurance records & check into auto licensing requirements & vehicle inspection requirements if moving out of province
- Check storage facilities if applicable
- Return any borrowed items & collect anything that you’ve loaned out
- Defrost & clean fridge one day before moving & clean stove
- Have meters read
- Make arrangements for transporting plants, pets, fish and perishables
- Clean rugs & drapes
- Arrange for any work that needs to be done at the new home
- Get warranties from previous owners
- Cancel any on-going services such as snow removal, newspaper delivery, etc.
- Return post office box key to postal facility, if applicable
- Leave clean house for new owner
- Gather up all keys for house and outbuildings, overhead door openers and warranties to leave for the new owner
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