Resources: Buying and Selling
Why use a Realtor when buying and selling a home?
Whether you are buying or selling your home, choosing your Real Estate Agent is a very important part of the process.
You need to find someone who ‘speaks your language’, and can help you through the process in as stress-free way as possible.
Buying or selling a home can be a complex procedure, which involves large sums of money, stringent legal requirements and has the potential for very costly mistakes.
I have the qualifications, experience and commitment needed to do the work for you.
If you are buying ...
I will listen closely to your ‘wish list’ and give you the advice you need to help achieve your goal.
If needed, I can put you in touch with a variety of professional people, such as Lawyers Mortgage Brokers, Insurance Brokers and Property Inspectors, to help you, as you go through the buying process.
As a licensed, British Columbia Real Estate Agent, I will to adhere not only to provincial law governing the real estate industry, but also to a national code of ethics.
The Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board educates and trains real estate agents within our geographic area so that clients can buy and sell their homes, in British Columbia, with confidence.
If you are selling …
Selling a home is no small venture. You want the process to be relatively fast and painless and you also want to make as much money as possible.
I will create a marketing programme to suit your specific property, and contact you regularly with updates on the real estate market and progress in selling your home, as I realize this can be an anxious time!
Below are some hints and tips, to help prepare your home for sale.
Preparing your home for sale – hints and tips.
- Disassociate Yourself With Your Home. We often become very attached to our homes and rightly so, however, it is time to let go and view it as ‘ a product to be sold’.
- De-Personalize. Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers can't see past personal artefacts, and you don't want them to be distracted.
- De-Clutter! People collect an amazing quantity of junk. If you don't need it, why not donate it or throw it away? Remove all books from bookcases, pack up those knickknacks, clean off everything on kitchen counters and put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet where not in use.
- Rearrange Bedroom Closets and Kitchen Cabinets. Think of the message you want to send to the Buyer. Now imagine what a buyer believes about you if they see everything organized. It says you probably take good care of the rest of the house as well.
- Rent a Storage Unit. Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage.
- Remove/Replace Favourite Items. If you want to take window coverings, built-in appliances or fixtures with you, remove them now. If a buyer never sees it, they won't want it. Once you tell a buyer they can't have an item, they will covet it, and it could be a ‘deal breaker’. Pack those items and replace them, if necessary.
- Make Minor Repairs. Replace cracked floor or counter tiles, patch holes in walls fix leaky faucets, fix doors that don't close properly and kitchen drawers that jam, consider painting your walls neutral colors and replace burned-out light bulbs.
- Make the House Sparkle! Clean thoroughly throughout the house and wash windows inside and out. Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks and bleach marked grout. Vacuum and wash floors before showings. If carpets are marked, consider getting them professionally cleaned or replaced. Fold bathroom and kitchen towels. Clean and air out any musty smelling areas - smoke and other odours are a no-no.
- Evaluate. Go outside and open your front door, does your house welcome you? Examine how furniture is arranged in each room and move pieces around until the room flows. Make sure window coverings hang level.
- Check Curb Appeal. Keep the paths cleared, in winter, mow the lawn, paint faded window and door trims, prune bushes, make sure visitors can clearly read your house number and put out brightly coloured pots of flowers during summer.
