Archive for November, 2018

What You Should Know About Home Inspections

Friday, November 30th, 2018

The most important decision while investing a huge amount of money in the purchase of a house is how to choose the best and the most experienced home inspectors. They need to be well equipped with the rules and laws of the place. When you are investing large amounts of money in purchasing a house, it is advisable that you choose an experienced home inspector, even though it may prove a bit expensive.

Are They Certified?

The best way to choose a home inspector is to check whether they have proper certification. You can also seek the help of their respective association with whom they are associated with. While searching for the ideal home inspector, find out their credentials with respect to their post in the association.

Always get three references from the home inspector for whom he has already provided his services. Then, call his clients and find out about their experience with him. Be sure that the inspector is insured for any mismanagement for his or her end. This will make sure that you don’t have to face financial loss due to them. Also, see what their extent of liability is so that you are fully covered by the insurance.

Check Reports

Ensure you are checking their conclusive report and be sure to see if they have identified the problems correctly. Take a look at their expert opinion on the subject. Since no house is absolutely free from faults, it is better to see certain common things related to the house. The problem that arises the most is in respect of roofing. So, make sure that it is maintained properly and repair work is carried out in a timely fashion.

If you go for an old house, make sure that the electrical fittings are proper as many older houses have faulty wiring underground. Also take a look at the wood to ensure it is not soaked or rotten. Find out whether the heating appliances are properly secured and installed and are in compliance with the plumbing code. An overall report on the condition of the systems and materials used in the home is a must. The more detailed it is, the better is it for everyone involved in the process.

Ask for Disclosure Documents

See that the inspection is according to the set standards of the government regulations. Ask for disclosure documents and submit it to your home inspector as it will help them to sort out if there are any issues. Make yourself aware of the problems existing in the house. It will help you verify the cost.

For homeowners, it is essential that they are inspected before so that you can decide to sell on an as-is basis. It will help you in negotiating properly with the prospective buyer. For buyers, it is essential to thoroughly check each area for defects which may not be visible to the naked eyes. Once complete, they need to get it rated from the home inspector so that any repair work can be taken care of by the seller.

Need help navigating the selling or buying process? Get in touch with Gerry Storoschuk at Bonnyville Homes to get the help you need,

Property Selling Mistakes to Avoid

Friday, November 23rd, 2018

Are you planning to sell your property? It is a big deal. You will be faced with many hard decisions, with the knowledge that making the wrong decision could lead to a significant loss on your part. The worst part is that there is no certainty either. The question now is how to avoid making the wrong assumptions or choices and make sure you go through a positive real estate experience. This should also be beneficial to you financially. This post contains some mistakes that you should avoid when trying to sell your property.

Choose the Right Real Estate Agent

Select your agent carefully as this could impact every phase of your home selling process. Do not choose one based on just the commission they charge. It is also not a good idea to go ahead with an agent just because you know them personally. While a reduced commission might seem worth it, you will actually be spending more in the long run, especially if your agent is not a skilled negotiator. Always try to work with experienced agents who have been highly recommended.

Do not control your real estate agent at every step. This makes it difficult for them to do their job. While you should have a say in everything, it is always better that you take in their recommendations and advice as well. After all, they are ones who are experienced in this sector. If you are not willing to pay for advertising, you are stopping the agent from closing a great deal for you. One way to work this out is to work with an agent you trust implicitly. This would mean that you value their suggestion and are sure they have your best interests in mind.

Make Sure You Are Ready

Be sure about the fact that you want to sell your house. It can be an exhausting process when the seller keeps changing their mind. It is not a good idea to put your house on the market just to see if buyers are interested in your property. Since an agent has a ton of experience, their opinion is very important. However, conducting further research on your end will offer you better options. Do your homework and study the market rate. Find out how much other houses in your area and similar suburbs are worth and make sure you are ready to sell your house for a similar price.

Don’t be Too Desperate

Buyers seem to find a desperate seller from a mile off. They will then offer a low price which is too low to be of any use. Some indicators that you are desperate could be the frequent lowering of the price and not using visually appealing photographs of the house, yard, or the street. What you can do is to improve your house and make sure it is clean and tidy during inspections. You should also fix any repairs and give the house a basic makeover so that you can get a better price.

Another common mistake many owners make is to not take early buyers seriously. They usually believe that a better offer will come along. In most cases, it does not. According to statistics, the best price is usually received in the first few weeks.

Whether you’re ready to sell or wondering how much your home is worth, let Gerry Storoschuk at Bonnyville Homes help you sell your home. Get in touch today!

How to Market a House that’s for Sale

Friday, November 16th, 2018

When there is no offer coming in from prospective buyers, it is a good idea to start looking into the reasons why. If your house is not selling, it could be a marketing problem. Having the data helps to see what needs to be done to your property with regards to interior décor and appeal. If the house has been on the market for a while, you may need to be competitive more completive in giving a better choice to prospective buyers.

You may also need to remodel your house by repairing and improving its aesthetics. Take many photos of your house and put them up online as well as share them with social media. Post only quality images to attract the right buyers. While taking pictures, don’t just take a few images of the main rooms. Snap all the bedrooms, laundry room, backyard etc.

Take Pictures

Always take pictures which will show your house in a positive frame. If your hallway is narrow maybe avoid posting pictures of it. Take multiple photos of your kitchen because that is a major concern when people are looking to buy a home. Make the dining room attractive by setting up the dining table. Your living room should give an impression of a large space, so don’t crowd the room with too much furniture or knick knacks. Take pictures of the gardens and the backyard. You might need to get help from professional photographers or your real estate agent to give it an appealing look.

Try putting your ads in various places. Consider shooting a video and then try uploading it on YouTube. Make sure you’re also posting on the weekends as this is when most people will look for homes for sale. You should also keep your house open on Sundays for inspection as well. Try to get feedback from the buyers as to their likes and dislikes of the property. This will help you in making minor adjustments to make it better.

Choose the Right Agent

Choose a good agent to sell your house. Select one who can deliver fast results. If you want a large profit, then you should choose an agent who specializes in that area and neighbourhood as they will have the best knowledge of the buyers and proper selling prices.

Try to see how many houses your agent was able to sell at their original price. Make sure that your agent keeps you well informed of any and all developments. Ensure that the agent has a strategy to sell the house. While quoting the sale price of your house, don’t be unrealistic. Otherwise, you may not get the desired result. Overpricing is the worst thing you can do. Try to compare the market rate and quote according to your house location and accessibility. If the demand for the house is more and the buyer market prevails, then price your house accordingly so that you can easily sell it.

Marketing in the correct manner is the most important thing in order to successfully sell a house and to make a reasonable profit. If you’re still unsure about what to do, or if you need help marketing your home, contact Gerry Storoschuk at Bonnyville Homes and get your home sold!

How to Identify Over Priced Homes

Friday, November 9th, 2018

We all can understand the need to sell our home at the price we bought them for, or at a price that is very near to the original figure. However, in real life, hardly anyone gets the luxury of doing that. If you are looking to buy a house, you are more than likely to come across overpriced houses. How to identify them is the real question here. This post deals with some ideas on how you can figure out if a listing is overpriced when you are house hunting. Overpriced houses are quite common in real estate. The reason for this is not very difficult to understand. Over the years, we grow attached to our house and we think it is better and hence, worth more than the others in the neighbourhood. However, that is a wrong approach. The sellers need to understand the market value of the house and decide on a reasonable price. Check out some of the ways on how you can identify overpriced properties.

Compare with Other Listings in the Area

Take a look at the other houses in the market that are similar to yours. Check out their condition and the price they are asking. It is better if you can track it for a few weeks before making a decision. It is better if you can also pull up information on the sold properties in the area. Your agent might be willing to help you with this.

Period of Time the Property on the Market

If a property is really worth the money it has been priced at, it will be grabbed up in an instant. If it has been sitting in the market for quite some time, chances are that it is a bit overpriced. Additionally, if you don’t see any offers or inspections booked for the property, it is possible that the house is indeed overpriced.

Condition of the House

Check out the condition of the property and see if it has been properly maintained. Also, check whether you would need to make any repairs immediately. If yes, you should probably choose to pay more and get a better house rather than getting it for a lower rate and then spending a fortune on repairs.  Some house may have had complete renovations and remodelling. Bathroom and kitchen remodelling can be a great price booster. However, at times, some buyers are just looking to buy a good house at a reasonable rate. The expensive finish and upgrades will not matter to them.

Does the Location Suit the Price?

One of the best ways to determine if a property is overpriced is to see whether it fits into the location. A good house in an undesirable location will put a damper on the buyer’s spirits. And if it’s priced high, there a very high possibility that it really is not worth it. To put it simply, the better the neighbourhood, the more the price will be.

Still unsure if a property is overpriced? Let Bonnyville Homes help you navigate the real estate market. Get in touch today!