Preparing to Buy a Home – Three Important Factors to Consider

Are you getting ready to purchase a home? This is an exciting venture and one for which you will want to be prepared. If you have certain priorities listed and planned for ahead of time, it will help you to focus on enjoying the home buying experience.

Here are three important points you will want to consider ahead of time:

1. Needs and Wants

You probably have a great deal of things you want to have in your new home. Take the time to list, examine, and prioritize them.

Start with a list of all the things that are swirling around in your head. Write them down as they come to mind, not in any particular order at first. Once you have your list, it’s time to take a closer look. You may want to make three columns on a sheet:

• Column one – This column will be the things you must have in your home; the “need” column.
• Column two – This column will be the things you would like to have and, very well may be able to have; the “want” column.
• Column three – This column is your dream list. It would be great to have these things; this is the “wish” column.

Now you have some guidelines that will not only help you but also your real estate agent.

Location

The location of your house is important for many reasons. Think about the things that matter to you and make sure you look in areas that are conducive to your needs.

Do you have school-age children? If so, you will want to do a bit of research about the schools in the area. If you have a baby or toddler, you may wish to look into daycare or preschool programs. Kamloops is made of up many neighbourhoods. You may want an area that has families with children that are in the same age range as yours.

How far do you want your house to be from your job? Consider the amount of commute time you are willing to spend to and from work and focus your search in that circumference.

If you have family in the Kamloops area, how close do you want to live?

Budget

One of the most important things you will need to know before beginning your quest to find a home is how much you can afford. The best way to determine this is by meeting with a mortgage broker. These professionals can help you by verifying the amount of the mortgage you qualify for, helping to determine the price range you should be looking at, and explaining how much you will need for a down-payment.

Once you have these three steps completed, it’s time to move forward with your buying agent. Sharing this information with your realtor is going to make the process easier for everyone.

Contact me today and let’s get started on this exciting venture!

Every seller wants their home to get sold quickly and attract a good price. While that may be the case, ensuring this happens has very little to do with chance and luck and more to do with careful planning. A potential homebuyer will always be more impressed with a home that’s in a state of good repair, looks presentable, neat and clean. Here are some ways in which you can prepare when selling your home.

1. It’s important to set your personal attachment aside

If you have lived in a particular home for a long time, it isn’t easy to let go. There will be memories attached to that place and you will have decorated and maintained the place with care. But it’s important that you make the break and here are some tips on how to do it:

• Tell yourself that it isn’t your home and that it’s a house; something that can be bought or sold, much like products you would buy at a supermarket.
• Be firm with that “let go” decision and focus on the fact that the house won’t be yours any longer.
• Visualize yourself handing over the keys and the warranties for all the appliances to the new owners.
• It’s important that you look into the future rather than a glance into the past.

2. De-personalize all the rooms

Remove all your family heirlooms and personal photographs and memorabilia as these can distract the buyers. The idea is to allow buyers to imagine all their belongings in that space as that takes them one step closer to buying a home. The buyers need to see themselves living there versus wondering what kind of people live in the house.

3. Clear all the clutter

This is a very crucial aspect of preparing to sell your home. It’s natural for us to collect things and not be able to discard them even after they are no longer required. The simple rule to follow is that if you haven’t used a certain item in over a year, its best to get rid of it. You have the option to either throw it away or donate it to someone. Some of the other things you can do are:

• Pack up the knickknacks
• Remove all the books from bookcases
• Clean everything off the kitchen counters.
• Put all the essential items in small boxes and put them away in the closet.

4. Rearrange storage cabinets & bedroom closets

Buyers often open closet and cabinet doors randomly while walking through the house. When all these spaces are well-organized, the message it sends to a potential buyer is that you are equally particular about taking care of the rest of the house too. Some of the things you can do include:

• Stack all the dishes neatly.
• Alphabetize all the spice jars in the pantry and kitchen.
• Hang shirts together- facing the same direction.
• Turn all coffee cup handles facing the same direction.
• Line up all your shoes properly in the closet.

5. Consider keeping extra items in a storage unit

Most homes show better when they have fewer pieces of furniture. It’s a good idea to move the extra pieces of furniture into a temporary storage unit and only keep the basic ones. This will open up and improve the movement flow in the spaces and make the rooms look more spacious. The furniture you keep should only showcase the purpose of that room, yet leave sufficient space to move around comfortably.

6. Replace or remove favourite pieces

If there are certain built-in appliances, features, fittings or window treatments that you want to take, it’s best to remove them when you are prepping your home for sale. If there are antique pieces or items that you are emotionally attached to, replace them with something else. That way you won’t have to tell a buyer it isn’t for sale. Sometimes, denying a buyer an item they have taken fancy to can blow the deal. This is why it’s best to either replace or remove those items if necessary.

7. Conduct minor repairs

In a seller’s market, it’s possible to sell a property in the condition it is in without too much of a hassle. But in a buyer’s market, the state of the features and installations in your home can make or break the sale. Based on the condition of the house, some of the repairs you may want to conduct include:

• Patch holes in drywall.
• Replace cracked floor tiles.
• Replace kitchen and bathroom wall tiles.
• Fix leaking faucets.
• Fix doors that jam or don’t close properly
• Fix kitchen drawers that jam.
• Consider giving your walls a fresh coat of paint- opt for neutral colours especially if you have eccentric taste in colours and décor.
• Replace dysfunctional light bulbs.
• Replace worn bedspreads.

8. Get your house cleaned thoroughly

When you are listing your house for sale, you need to ensure that every nook and cranny of it is clean. Since this can be a pretty laborious task, consider hiring house cleaning professionals for the job. Some of the things that need to be focused on include:

• Clean the windows inside & out.
• Clean out cobwebs.
• Pressure-clean the driveway, sidewalks and the exterior walls of your home.
• Polish mirrors and chrome faucets.
• Re-caulk tubs, showers, and sinks.
• Vacuum daily.
• Clean out the refrigerator.
• Replace worn rugs.
• Wax wooden floors.
• Dust the furniture, ceiling fans & light fixtures.
• Bleach dingy grout.
• Hang up clean, fresh towels.
• Get rid of bad odors in all the rooms.

9. Enhance curb appeal

You need to ensure that buyers are encouraged to get out of their cars and walk into your home. This means you need to focus on enhancing its curb appeal. You can do this by:

• Making the front door and entrance area look welcoming; clean the space, paint/polish the front door, hang or place potted plants around the front door.
• Make sure all window treatments in the house hang level.
• Keep the sidewalks clear of clutter.
• Mow the lawns & trim the hedges.
• Paint faded/deteriorated window trim.
• Ensure visitors can read your house number clearly from the street.

The one way to get all aspects of preparing a home right is to hire staging professionals for the job. I have the expertise to prep and stage your home so that buyers see it in the best light – get in touch today!

The common thought that most prospective home buyers have is that they would be “easily” manage their home purchase themselves. The internet and easy access to information has made it possible for people to handle much of the legwork themselves. But there really is no substitute for a knowledgeable and skilled professional buyer’s agent. An experienced negotiator who knows the vibe of the market can save you considerable hassles, money and time by helping you make an appropriate offer, getting tough when necessary and getting the best possible deal.

But it’s important that you don’t just call the agent that shows up on the listing and sign up. Keep in mind that the agent works for the seller and will obviously keep the seller’s best interests in view. You need to work with a buyer’s agent who will exclusively represent you. Most agents require you to sign a contract that says you won’t work with any other brokers for a specific time frame.

But the fact is that the benefits of hiring a skilled and experienced real estate agent far outweigh the commision they charge for their services. They can make the process of buying a home less stressful, less expensive and less time-consuming as well. Take a look at how a real estate agent can save you money when buying a home:

1. They have the right business contacts

When you are considering buying a new home, you need to have the right people in your corner, or else the process can get very expensive and you may not even find the right home for your needs. It can be very time-consuming and tedious to scour various real estate listing sites, go through the details of different properties and visit many of them to identify whether they suit your needs.

Once a buyer’s agent knows that you are serious about buying a home, they will make every effort to show you properties that fit your requirements and budget. Many great agents also have access to off-listing properties and you will save time (which translates into money) on looking for a suitable new home.

2. They have the experience to help improve your odds in negotiations

Quoting a buying price isn’t something you can do off the bat. If your offer price is far lower than the listing price, the seller might not consider your offer at all. On the flip-side, if you quote an excessively high selling price, you may end up paying far more than the house is worth and may rue the fact later.

When you attempt to buy a home without help from a buying agent, identifying what the right offer price should be can seem just like a guessing game. However, when you hire the services of a great real estate agent, their knowledge of the local market is a plus. They will be able to guide you on what the right offer price and this improves your chances of sealing the deal.

A qualified and experienced agent will have deep knowledge of the current real estate trends in your local area, the price at which homes similar to the one you are planning to buy etc. This helps speed-up the home sale process for you and saves you, time, money and the trouble of looking at a large number of homes before zeroing-in on one.

3. They help you save time

It’s not uncommon for buyers that are managing their property search on their own, to believe that the process won’t take too much of their time. They feel that all they need to do is look on the right real estate sites, search for related ads in local newspapers, attend a couple of open houses and negotiate the price. But the fact is there is much more than that involved in a home purchase.

Buying a home isn’t just exhausting, but can be extremely time-consuming as well. That’s exactly why there are so many real estate agents in the industry today. Property owners that choose to manage this process themselves in an attempt to save some dollars, often find they have very little time on their hands to focus on their professional and personal lives.

If you end up spending all of your time just attempting to look for the perfect property, it takes away from your work, family and leisure time; and all of these are worth a lot more than you think. Working with a credible real estate agent is the best way to take this burden off of your shoulders. They have the knowledge and time required to get this job done efficiently and quickly. The amount of trouble and time they can save you can prove to be invaluable.

4. Effective sale negotiations

Knowing your financial & personal circumstances and keeping these confidential is crucial to the home negotiation process. If listing agents know exactly how much you have liked a particular house, and how keen you are in closing the deal etc., that can work to your disadvantage, and the seller may up increasing their asking price or reject your offer altogether.

But a buyer’s agent will keep all this information confidential and will negotiate the best terms and price on your behalf. The simple fact is that a seller’s agent typically works for the seller and prioritizes their benefit. But a buyer’s agent works for the buyer and not the seller and he will prioritize your goals, finances, and interest over selling a home.

Working with a credible and well-established real estate agent will help ensure you get the home of your dreams with the least amount of trouble at a price that fits into your budget. Contact Scot today!

If you are a first-time home buyer, the journey that lies ahead can be quite exciting. Before long, you will also

realize that almost every one that learns you are on this journey will have some advice to offer. While this advice may be well-intentioned, it can be quite difficult to sift through it and determine what works best for you. Here are some tips that can help you make the right choice:

Look for a trusted mortgage banker

Your ability to buy any property, your understanding of the purchase and loan processes, as well as your satisfaction with this experience in the short & long term will be influenced significantly by your mortgage banker. Even before you begin looking for a new house, you need to have a very clear idea of what you can afford. That’s where a mortgage banker comes in. You will have to provide this professional a lot of personal information. He/she will make recommendations on loans that will be best-suited for your personal and financial circumstances. This is exactly why you need to look for a mortgage banker you can trust completely.

Look for an experienced real estate agent

Sometimes prospective homeowners are tempted to work with someone they know personally and who has a real estate license. But, what matters is that you find a real estate agent who is experienced and knowledgeable enough to cater to your specific requirements.

It’s a good idea to get referrals from friends that have recently purchased a home. Make it a point to meet with and interview a few real estate agents before finalizing who to hire. During the first meetings, you need to ensure that this person is attentive and proactive in their approach. They should ask relevant questions regarding your requirements and focus on your answers.

Check out whether they have helped clients successfully purchase a property in the target price range and neighbourhood you are interested in and whether their preferred communication method suits your needs. It’s also a good idea to look for a buyer’s agent, rather than one that performs a dual role and represents the seller as well. The latter can cause a conflict of interests.

Be well-versed with the industry jargon

Just like any other industry, the mortgage lending and real estate landscapes overflow with industry-specific jargon. If you are unsure about what a certain term means, make it a point to get it clarified, not just in conversation but in the written materials too.

Don’t be tardy

When you are in the midst of the home purchase process, you will often be required to answer calls, produce various documents and show up for last minute meetings. In most of these cases, even the smallest delays can mean that some other buyer seals the deal and gets the house. Failure to provide the requested documents can result in a delay in the final purchase by days or even weeks. This is why you should make your home purchase a top priority and ensure these requests are attended to promptly.

Be curious and eager to know more about the property

When it comes to purchasing a home, being shy is only a downside. Your home is likely one of the biggest investments you will make in your life and it’s important that you get clarifications for any questions that cross your mind. A home purchase isn’t something you take lightly, and you need to have a very good understanding of every little detail of the process and the technicalities involved. After all, that’s one of the best ways to cover your bases and ensure there are no ugly surprises waiting for you, once you get the keys.

Comb through all the fine print

Most mortgage and home purchase transactions involve heap loads of paperwork that also have reams of fine print. While all of it may appear to be very generic, having a good understanding of all the terms of your loan and offer is key to your short and long-term welfare. This is why it’s important that you go through these documents with a fine-toothed comb before signing on the dotted line. You also have the option to run these documents by a legal expert.

Ask questions before making any finance-related moves

A number of things can have an impact on your credit report and affect your ability to qualify for the loan you need. This is why you need to first consult with your mortgage banker before you close/open any bank accounts, pay off loans, make any large investments, purchase a car, apply for new credit cards, or even borrow/withdraw funds for your down payment.

Do some insurance shopping

You will need homeowners insurance in order to finalize your home purchase. As mentioned earlier, start early, get your doubts cleared and don’t forget to read the fine print. You need to be very clear about what is/isn’t covered by the insurance policy. Find out how the payments need to be made, when you need to make them and what they are. If your home is located in a flood-prone or storm-prone zone, you might need to buy an additional policy to cover losses related to these natural disasters.

Think out-of-the-box

It’s never a good idea to take a closeted approach to buying a house; get a little creative and you may find a house that’s far better than your expectations. For instance, you may want to consider looking for houses in a neighbourhood you hadn’t considered looking at earlier. Maybe a condo will suit your requirements and budget better than a single-family home.

In addition to all these things, you should have all your paperwork and eligibility in place. You need to be pre-qualified for a loan and also have the pre-approval letter from your mortgage lender. The one way to navigate these waters safely is to work with a good real estate agent who will show you the ropes and help ensure you get the house of your dreams.