A home inspection, while not required in all areas, should be an indispensable part of your home buying or selling process. It is worth the cost up front to save you money and headaches down the road.

What a Home Inspection Entails

A home inspector will provide a thorough inspection of the home’s interior and exterior to alert you to any damage that may cause potential problems in the future. He or she will look at the house as a whole and evaluate how the different components work together and affect each other. The inspector will identify any areas that need repairs or are unsafe and advise you on what your next steps should be.

Benefits for a Home Buyer

When you are purchasing a home, you want to know that it is going to be safe for you and your family for many years to come. Obviously, you don’t want to buy a home that is rotting from the inside out. A home inspector can alert you to issues that are minor right now but could potentially become much more serious in the future. Purchasing a home is a major decision. The results of the inspection may lead you to reconsider buying a particular house if it is likely to have a lot of problems in the future. It can protect you from huge unexpected expenses.

Benefits for a Home Seller

If you are the one selling the home, it is a good idea to request a home inspection prior to listing your home on the market. Potential buyers of your home are likely to have an inspection done, and you don’t want there to be any surprises. If there are issues with the house, buyers may rescind their offers or make offers only on the condition that you repair the problems before they finalize the purchase. It is better if you know about any problems in advance. An inspection gives you the opportunity to make sure the house is in its best possible condition when buyers start coming to look at it. This will streamline the purchasing process and make potential buyers feel much more confident that your home is the right choice for them.

INSIGHTFUL and proper representation is key when buying and selling property. Scot Rose has over 15 years of full time, full-service real estate experience. The Team will give you results that show how experience and coordination of vital services can make a difference to YOU! We have the Experience, we have the Plan, and we make the Results happen! Get in touch to have the Team help YOU buy or sell your Calgary home today!

How to Assess Whether or Not You Need One

Home warranties are used to protect new owners from the costs associated with unforeseen repairs in their new house or condo. Like most costs associated with buying a new home, a warranty is one people don’t discuss until afterwards and is one nobody can agree on whether or not it’s necessary. There are benefits and drawbacks to buying a home warranty, for both buyers and sellers, and the decision changes drastically based on circumstances.

Peace of Mind When Buying an Older  Home

Old homes may be less expensive than new homes, but older homes will also have older appliances and foundations. Every warranty company and plan is different, but these are the things a home warranty will protect against. The cost of replacing all the appliances in a home is something that most people could never afford right after paying for the house, so the idea of a significantly cheaper warranty helps them rest easy at night knowing they are covered if something breaks down.

Don’t Expect Complete Repairs

While a home warranty looks good on the surface, especially considering how expensive brand new appliances can be, there are catches. Some people are shocked to learn that when their appliance breaks they will only be receiving a repair and not a new machine. Every company has different criteria for what warrants a new appliance, but in most cases they will do whatever they can to get the old appliance back in running order so that they won’t have to pay for a new one.

Warranties are not Just for Buyers

Home warranties are also available to sellers to cover any unexpected costs associated with the sale. Everything may appear like it’s going smoothly, but sometimes sales fall through at the last possible second or the closing is delayed for unforeseen circumstances. A home warranty can cover the seller for all the costs associated with this disaster, including legal fees, accommodations, moving and storage as well as bank, mortgage and interest payments.

Some Homes Will Have A Warranty Included

In order to make their home stand out and be more attractive to potential buyers, some sellers will make a deal with a warranty company to include the coverage in the cost of the home. Additionally, some REALTORS® may include the cost of warranty as a bonus when the home closes. Before shopping around with different insurers, all buyers should double check that the cost of the warranty isn’t already being covered by another party. This is especially true for new homes.

If the idea of home warranties has you confused and you really aren’t sure whether or not you need one, it will be best to speak with a professional real estate agent. We can tell you more about home warranties and why they may be right, or wrong, for your new home. Every situation is different and if you provide us with more information we can help you decide whether or not a home warranty is right for you. 

Giving a Smaller Home a More Roomy Feel

Smaller rooms can create a decorating challenge for homeowners. While some may be dealing with a space that is smaller overall – such as a condo or apartment – others may have just a couple of smaller rooms that look and feel cramped. While enlarging these rooms may not be an option, there may be a few upgrades to consider that can give these rooms a more spacious and open feel.

Light Paint Colours

Dark colours can add dramatic flair to a room, and they certainly will make a bold statement. However, they also can create the feeling that the room is smaller than it is. It is best to paint with light paint colours on the walls or even to choose a lighter colour for the ceiling. In addition to these colours, a lighter floor colour can also add the feeling of depth to space. If the use of bolder, brighter hues is preferred, consider adding a pattern in combination with lighter colours to the ceiling. Another idea is to use stripes with alternating darker and lighter hues on the walls to create the illusion of space.

Shelving Installed Close to the Ceiling

Storage space is often a concern with smaller rooms, and cabinets and bookshelves can take up valuable floor space in any room. A smart idea for smaller rooms is to install shelving or even cabinetry closer to the ceiling. This can enable the space below it to be kept open or to be used for other purposes, such as for other furnishings that must be kept on the floor.

Recessed or Flush Lighting

Lighting is an important element in any room, and brighter lighting can make a space look larger in many situations. Darker shadows cast about a room can make the space feel closed off. More than that, overhead lights that hang down, such as pendants or chandeliers, can create a visual illusion that makes the room feel smaller than it is.

To achieve the goal of casting light throughout the room more evenly while removing these hanging light fixtures from the space, install recessed or flush lights into the ceiling. These can be combined with small table lamps if necessary to brighten up any areas that may still be dark or shadowy. Avoid tall, imposing lamps when decorating a smaller room.

Decorating a smaller room is rarely easy to do, and there are many things that homeowners can do when decorating that actually may make a smaller room appear to be even smaller. These are a few tips that can be followed to make the space appear to be more roomy and spacious, but there are also other ideas for decorating as well as built-in upgrades to consider. Ideally, the fully decorated room will be stylish and functional as well as appear to be spacious.

With proper research and planning, a homeowner can achieve the desired results. Be sure to continue to read my blog for more great ideas and insight on how to maximize your home. When looking to sell, trust me to get the job done and get started with a FREE home evaluation today!

5 Tips for Finding the Right Mortgage Professional for Your Needs

5 Tips for Finding the Right Calgary Mortgage Professional for Your Needs

Finding the perfect Calgary home is only the first step in the journey towards home ownership. The next step is a financial one and comes with many questions: Is the home being bought with cash or is a mortgage needed? Will the buyer be using a mortgage broker or going through a bank? If those questions don’t have definitive answers then maybe it’s time to turn to a mortgage professional for help. Here are five things to think about when searching for the right mortgage professional.

Talk to Recent Homeowners about Their Experience

Some people have negative experiences when buying a home, but most of them loved the team they assembled and would recommend them to anybody who asked. One of the best ways to find a mortgage professional is to talk to friends and family members who have bought a home in the last few years about their experience. It’s the easiest way to get honest feedback and everybody who loved their Calgary mortgage professional will be more than eager to share that information.

Meet with a Wide Variety of Professionals

The best way to get to know somebody is to meet face to face. Websites, ads and personal recommendations can only reveal so much about a person and nobody can know how much they connect until meeting firsthand. Make sure not to jump the gun and settle after the first meeting, it’s important to talk to as many professionals as possible to make sure the right choice is being made.

Ask for a History of Lenders They do Business With

Mortgage brokers receive a fee from the bank or financial institution where the mortgage is set up. This is to be expected but it can lead to a broker giving preferential treatment to a lender that gives out a larger fee. A professional who does business with many different banks will probably look out for the client’s interest more than one who only does business with one or two financial institutions.

Look for a Professional with Years of Experience

The real estate market in Canada has gone through a massive boom in the last ten years, which resulted in plenty of people switching their professional focus to capitalize on the increased work. This is why mortgage brokers are so popular across the country now, which has benefits and drawbacks. The benefit is that the buyer has more choice.

Make Sure They Have Experience in the Community

Make sure any mortgage broker is local and has experience in the community, just because it’s the buyer’s first time doesn’t mean it should be their broker’s first time. Buying a new home can be scary and stressful, but if you’re surrounded with the right team it can be the seamless experience that other people brag about.

Have questions or would like more advice on buying your home in the Calgary area? Get in touch with Scot today. INSIGHTFUL and proper representation is key when buying and selling property. Scot Rose has over 15 years of full time, full-service real estate experience. The Team will give you results that show how experience and coordination of vital services can make a difference to YOU!