2011 October ColeConnection.ca Team Newsletter
Making home shopping faster and easier!
Like most things in life, shopping for a new home can either be
time-consuming and stressful, or fun and satisfying. It just
depends on how you go about it.
There are many things you can do to make the home shopping
process go smoothly and accomplish what you want: finding the
home of your dreams at a price you can afford.
Here are some ideas:
• Get pre-approved.
much you qualify to borrow. That will give you confidence
when home shopping, because you’ll know that, should you
find the right property, financing won‘t be a problem.
Find out from your bank or lender how• Make a list.
The obvious items include the number of bedrooms, size of
backyard, location, etc. But also list not-so-obvious features,
such as walking distance to public transit and the potential
for a large recreation room in the basement.
Write down everything you want in a new home.• Take a camera.
remember every important feature and characteristic. So be
sure to take pictures (where allowed) of the properties you
view as well as the neighbourhoods. They’ll be invaluable
when shortlisting potential properties later on.
After seeing a few homes, you may not• Keep an open mind.
for you on the market. But it might not be exactly what you
had originally envisioned. So try to be flexible when
considering potential homes. If, for example, a property
doesn’t have a big deck for entertaining, you can always have
one built.
There’s probably an ideal home available• Take care of yourself and your family.
properties, bring some healthy snacks and water with you.
Take regular breaks, especially when you’re seeing multiple
homes. And don’t see too many properties at a time
especially if you’re bringing young children with you.
Also, find a good REALTOR
home shopping process go smoothly.
Do buyers appreciate the "lived in" look?
Family pictures on the fireplace mantle.
A friendly dog lying on a mat in the foyer. Dinner
cooking on the stove. Kid’s toys scattered in the
hallway. Closets stuffed with clothes.
Those are the unmistakable signs that a family is
living in the house.
But does that “lived in” look appeal to home buyers?
In most cases, no. Home buyers know, of course, that a family still
lives in the home. But if you have constant reminders of that throughout your
property, some buyers will feel like intruding strangers.
So when preparing your home for sale, remember: buyers want to visualize
themselves living in the home, not you.
Morrisonontheweb informed home buyer/seller newsletter