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HALIFAX/DARTMOUTH & SURROUNDING AREAS
It is very important that you
call 1-2 weeks before you move (close on your new property), as some companies may
require that they come to your house for installation and/or appointments.
Make arrangements for the
following:
ELECTRICITY: Call
the Nova Scotia Power Corporation at 428-6230
TELEPHONE: Call
Bell at 1-866-425-4268 or Eastlink
at 453-2800
WATER: Call
Halifax Water Commission at
490-4820
OIL: Cunards
494-6211; Superline Fuels 429-0740;
Scotia
Fuels 453-2121; Esso 455-1551; Irving
310-1924
CABLE: Call Eastlink
453-2800
INSURANCE: Before the closing date, you are required to
arrange house insurance.
CANADA POST: Change
of address 1-800-267-1177
NEWSPAPERS: Stop delivery at previous home and start at new
address
ChronicleHerald
426-3031
MOVING COMPANIES: Make
sure to book well in advance
GARBAGE COLLECTION: 490-5960
METRO TRANSIT: 490-6600
SCHOOLS: Halifax
421-2566; Dartmouth 464-2800;
Bedford/Sackville 832-4370
DON'T FORGET TO CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS ON YOUR: Driver's License, Credit Card,
Banks, Magazine Subscriptions, Vehicle Registration, Car and Life Insurance,
etc.
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Are you thinking of
Renovating? If you are, you may want to
check your home owner's insurance policy.
Before you begin renovations, here
are a few important things to remember:
- You may need to notify the insurance company as certain
renovations could affect your
coverage.
- If you are vacating the home, depending on how long
your home is unoccupied, you may not be covered for such things as
burglary.
- Various improvements may cause your premiums to
decrease or increase. For example major improvements like
electrical or reshingling the roof could help you save money on your
insurance.
- Your contractor should have his/her own up-to-date
liability insurance.
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Thinking about selling? Considering putting their house on the market and
willing to do some upgrades that you believe are certain to attract bunches of
admiring buyers? While it's certainly a wise move to make a few
improvements, it's wiser not to overdo it. If you spend a large amount of
money on remodeling expenses, chances are you'll probably never recoup your
investment - especially in a buyer's market.
Hmm, so how do you know which upgrades are worth it and which ones aren't?
For the most part, real estate experts agree that bathroom remodels, new
kitchen counter tops and appliances, and energy-saving improvements will pay
off in the long run.
However, the view held by real estate experts is that the following four
changes or upgrades are not worth your time and money.
- Making elaborate
improvements
Take a close look at competing properties in your neighborhood and the
features that each home has to offer. Some may be larger, have more
baths or bigger yards, but the ball park average sold price is about the
same in a given area. While you want your house to stand out from the
competition, you shouldn't make unwarranted upgrades that greatly exceed
other properties in your area. So before you invest tons of money
into an elaborate full-house renovation project, think again. Not only
will you end up losing money, but you may even scare off potential buyers.
If all of a sudden an elaborate mansion appears in a neighborhood of
modest style homes it would probably stick out like a sore thumb. The
buyer may feel this home is out of place. The best advice I can give
is to find out how similarly priced homes in your neighborhood measure up,
and make improvements based on your specific area.
- Replacing a Popular
Feature
Before you consider making a major home change, such as converting
your garage into a games room, take a look around. If every other home in
your neighborhood boasts a two-car garage, you should probably think
twice. Do you really want to be the only house in the area with no garage?
Most home buyers would prefer to have a sheltered place to park their car
than a room to play ping pong and darts.
- Swimming Pools
Believe it or not, a swimming pool rarely adds value to a home these
days. Unfortunately, it usually costs a small fortune to have an in-ground
swimming pool installed and you're probably not going to recoup your
investment. The reason being that, many home buyers view an in-ground
swimming pool as a hassle with its high maintenance and safety hazard.
When a home buyer sees an in-ground pool in the backyard, they may have
thoughts of spending ridiculous amounts of money as well as time on pool
maintenance. In addition, buyers with young children often steer clear of
homes with pools because of safety concerns. In other words, home buyers
are more likely to view your in-ground pool as an inconvenience - not a
selling point.
- Bold Designs
Everyone has designed and decorated their home so that it reflects
their unique style. Remember though not everyone has the same taste. If
you are selling your home and have chosen bold design choices into the
décor, don't be surprised if all lookers are not fans. For example, if you
have pink counter tops, floral print wallpaper, orange shag carpet, and a mirrored
bedroom ceiling, one look may have the home buyers going out as fast as
they came in.
If these eclectic tastes describe your home, try to tone it down before
you plant that "For Sale" sign in the front yard. Remove the
wallpaper and slap a fresh coat of neutral-coloured paint on the walls.
Replace the carpet with laminate flooring, or new standard beige or brown
carpet. Finally look for ways to take away those extremely personal
features that would be considered "strange" as opposed to "traditional."
Home buyers should be able to imagine themselves living in your home - and
that's practically impossible to do if there is too much clutter or
mounted caribou heads peering down at them from the walls of every room.
Overall, it's good to put some cleaning and upgrades into your house before
you try to sell it. This can add value and make it more attractive to
potential buyers. However, there are some things that will not add anything to
the house's closing price at all. Keep these thoughts in mind when you're
getting ready to put up that "For Sale" sign.
(For more tips on selling your house, check out my other blogs on my blog
page or give me a call at 902-222-6909).
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It is often said "Don't sweat the small
stuff"! However, when selling your home, sweating the small stuff can make
a huge difference.
What seems like small stuff to a seller can be a
red flag to a buyer. A potential buyer may view this as a sign that since the
seller has not looked closely at the small things that need repair, how can
they be certain that the bigger things have not been neglected as well?
Here are some examples:
- A buyer
tries to switch on a light in various rooms but can't see the room because
the light bulb is burned out.
- The
buyer tries to open a door and a loose knob falls into their hand.
- The
buyer goes to open a closet door and the door is falling of its hinges.
- The
buyer goes to open a window or storm door and notices small tears in the
screens in the window.
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Don't forget when preparing for a showing that
"housekeeping" items are imperative. These are the things that can
make the home feel clean & tidy and well maintained.
Let's take the bedroom, for instance: are you
someone who pulls open a bedroom drawer and leaves t-shirts or socks poking
out, and never completely closes the drawer?
Before a showing don't forget to:
Close all bedroom drawers completely
Have all bureau tops cleared
Take personal photos off the wall
Pick up footwear that may be lying around.
Empty the garbage can
For a free CMA and information on
marketing and selling your home, call
Dale 222-6909
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1. How many people own and how many are renting in the building? Condominium
complex managers will often "fill" the unsold condos with rentals.
So, find out how many of the condos in the complex are "rentals
only", and how many possibly will be in the future.
2. Tour the property, and spend some time. Ask the neighbors what they think
of the condominium association and those who live there. This can provide
invaluable information that you will never get from any document.
3. Ask for a copy of the last two years of association minutes. As a
consumer, having an opportunity to peruse these will enable you to really
understand what is happening in the complex you are interested in.
4. Are pets allowed? Most condominium documents will list whether pets are
allowed or not; but find out if there are any restrictions regarding both the
type and the number of pets occupants may have. This could save you a whole lot
of trouble later. You don't want to find out after you purchased that your much
loved pet will have to find another place to live.
5. Can you sublet or rent if necessary? Always plan for all eventualities
for who knows what the future may bring? You should receive documents to cover
this, but they may not. It is in your best interests to ask.
If you are thinking about purchasing your first condominium, hopefully you
will find this advice helpful. As with any property purchase, emotion and
excitement is a big part of the process, so don't jump in too quickly. Some
really small details taken care of in the beginning can save a whole host of
problems later. To chat some more about this, give me a call and I will be
happy to help: Call Dale at 902-222-6909
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But how will you know when that is going to
happen? This is one of those things that cannot be predicted
accurately. The truth is we'll know the market has hit bottom AFTER
it has occurred.
If you would like to buy a home, it's a great
time to do it. It's possible that it will be a better time in a couple of
months. It's just as possible it won't. This may be a good time to
ask yourself, "when interest rates and home prices start moving up and
your payments jump a couple hundred dollars, will having waited really be
a benefit"?
When will the price drops be enough? Another
5%? 10%? Then make your offer 10% lower. With record-low
interest rates, housing prices, and large inventory, it's a great time to buy.
The time to buy is when you need to/want to and
can afford to. It should be about your life conditions, not about market
conditions.
(For more tips on buying a home, check out my
other upcoming blogs on my blog page or give me a call at 902-222-6909).
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1. Make a great first impression: Make
sure your entry way is clean, free from debris and inviting. The entry way
should be fresh looking and the door should be easy to open. (If your key is
not fitting in the lock smoothly then put a little Vaseline/petroleum jelly on
your key and move it in and out of the lock until the key turns with ease).
2.Brightness creates a bright and
positive mood: open all the curtains during the day-time to let the natural
sunlight shine in. If some areas are dark then turn on a lamp in these areas.
3.Kitchen and bath are the two areas of
a home that are top priority. Make sure these two areas are free of clutter and
spotless- especially counter tops.
4.All other rooms
should be clean, de-cluttered and tidy.
5.Closets and storage
spaces need to be organized and clean.
6.Do the obvious repairs: Leaky faucets,
loose door knobs, clean and repair paint chips from doors and windows, etc.
7.Clean all windows
inside and out.
8.Re- arranging pieces
of furniture to create openness.
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First impressions are super important. Within
minutes of entering a home for the first time a buyer usually forms an opinion
by way of the senses.
CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN, windows, doors, walls, floors
etc. If you don't have time yourself then it is wise to hire someone. In any
case make sure your home is clean.
A fresh and clean smell can be inviting as well as
improve appearances. Any time I have shown a clean house I am impressed and do
comment to the buyer on how nice it is that the house is clean. When I am
selling a home, the feedback from the showings is always positive. Agents and
their clients comment on how well maintained the home was. This gives the
seller an advantage in promoting the home and possibly selling quicker. A clean
home lets buyers know the home has been maintained and that the Seller has
pride of ownership. This provides the buyer with added comfort.
Remember , it is important to keep it clean for every
showing.
If you are a seller preparing to sell your property
and looking for help please feel free to call me at 1-902-222-6909
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Are you in a situation where
another month has gone by and you still don't have the money to make your
mortgage payment?
Life sometimes can hand us lemons when we least
expect it. There may be various reasons: you have lost your job, your
wages have been cut, you have lost paid work time due to an illness, or you
recently have gone through a divorce.
Attitude is everything. Just know that you are
not the only person going through this financial meltdown and resolve to be
determined to find a way out.
If this is something you are going through now,
then you have to make a decision. Are you considering selling your home? My
best advice is: do not ignore it, the debt will not just go away. Help is a
phone call away. There are solutions, you just have to ask, research, and find
them.
If you owe more than what your house is
worth, one choice is to try to sell your house using a REALTOR®.
Most REALTORS® will do a comparative market
analysis for you for free. After reviewing the CMA with your REALTOR®
you will be able to see where you are financially -- then you can then decide
what to do from there. A REALTOR® has all the
knowledge and tools to market and sell your house to help make the situation
less stressful.
Ask them what type of experience they have had in
the past when dealing with your type of case. Can you both work
together for a positive solution? Having clear questions and
clear understanding of expectations is extremely important.
Remember a REALTOR®
isn't qualified to give you any legal or financial planning advice. This
must come from a lawyer or a CPA. Realtors are here to help you sell your
house, if you decide this is the best way to go.
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is ask for
help. As a homeowner, you need to understand that there are options out
there when you are unable to make your mortgage payment.
If you do not understand how bankruptcy works,
then check the following website out:
http://www.nsbankruptcy.com/bankruptcy-FAQs.htm
For a free CMA and information on marketing and selling your home call Dale
222-6909.
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