Archives for Housing tips

Buyers Toolkit – Springtime

March 29, 2018 | Comments Off

Buyers Toolkit – Springtime Spring is in the air, and the real-estate market is ramping up for the beginning of buyers’ season. Things tend to move faster in the spring and houses for sale are often sold shortly after they are listed. As a potential home buyer, it is important to be prepared as possible before you start looking at potential homes – that way, the chance of losing your “dream home” to another buyer is greatly decreased. You may be wondering … “What are some of the important things that can help you stay on-top of, and ahead of
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Is it time to invest in a second “nest”?

February 8, 2018 | Comments Off

College students, and living options If you’re the parent of a college/university age student, and you haven’t considered it yet, perhaps now is the time you will. As spring is just around the corner, it’s time to think about what investments you can make, and an investment that shouldn’t be overlooked is buying a home. More specifically, buying a home for your college-aged student to live in during school. Should you purchase a home in your students’ university/college town for them to live in during their schooling? What are the benefits, and drawbacks of investing in a second home?
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Selling in the Summer

July 11, 2017 | Comments Off

Selling your home in summer? It can be grueling to prepare a house for sale in the summer heat but many experts believe that summer is one of the best times to sell a house. Why?… People are out and about! Summer holidays mean that people have more time to devote to buying a home and, for parents of school age children, moving in the summer offers an easier transition for families changing neighbourhoods/schools. Selling your home in summer may also give you more time to devote to preparing your home – it’s a win-win! The Ottawa real estate market
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Spring Gardening 101

May 10, 2017 | Comments Off

May is here, and with all the April showers we’ve seen this year we are sure to see a lot of flowers appearing soon. Beautiful gardens and thoughtful landscaping can enhance your property’s curb appeal and make spending time outside more enjoyable, but not everyone has a green thumb! We’ve collected some helpful tips for those who might need a little help. Planning Your Garden You can start planning your garden at any time, but it is best to have some ideas in mind before you start digging or planting. Here are some things to keep in mind when planning
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6 Spring Maintenance Tips for Homeowners

April 5, 2017 | Comments Off

As the snow finally melts after what has seemed like a never-ending winter, it’s time to start thinking about all the spring maintenance tasks that you will need to around your home. Spring always feels like a fresh start so use that as motivation as you work around your yard and home! Here are 6 spring maintenance tasks for homeowners: Check the roof There is no need to pull out a ladder at this point; stand back from your home and do a visual inspection: “with binoculars and a keen eye, you can probably spot trouble.” Winter snow and
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Pets and Real Estate

March 20, 2017 | Comments Off

Pets are a very important part of many Canadians lives. In 2014, it was estimated that 57% of Canadians owned pets which equates to approximately 7.5 million households. In many cases, our pets become part of our families to the point where terms like “pet parent” and “fur baby” are used to define this unique relationship. But what impact do pets have when it comes to real estate? Buying a Home with our Pets in Mind Pets affect our choices in real estate. When we buy a home, we consider the needs of our family, which often enough includes our
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Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in the Spring Market

March 6, 2017 | Comments Off

It’s that time of year, the spring market is quickly approaching and if you’re thinking of selling your home, now is the time to start getting ready. It may seem like a daunting task but there are things that you can do to make sure that your house is prepared for the droves of spring buyers this upcoming season. Remember, there will be many houses on the market at the same time as yours so you want to make sure that yours is ready and sticks out for buyers! Prioritize Repairs One of the first things you will want to
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Why Move? A Look into Canada’s Homebuyers

February 28, 2017 | Comments Off

How many times have you moved (so far) in your lifetime? Once? Twice? For a brief time while in school? Work? Or have you moved far too many times to even count? What about those times that you have moved from one place to another, were they on your own? Were they with your family? Your partner? A few friends? And did you live in these homes for long enough to consider it a home? Sure, the vast majority of us may answer differently to each of these questions, but we do share one common factor: the overall experience. Truth
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Housing Trends in 2017

January 30, 2017 | Comments Off

The New Year is officially underway and we are ready to reflect on the year that has passed, as well as plan for the year that’s to come. With the housing market being consistently ever-changing, new trends tend to surface as old ones seem to fade. 2016 was a big year for the housing market and, as a result, we saw some pretty impressive reports, results, and trends. This year, the housing forecast and its trends will predictably be as follows: The Canadian Real Estate Association has released recent information on Canada’s housing trends and how they’ve evolved since
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New Year Reno-Resolutions

January 23, 2017 | Comments Off

A new year tends to go hand in hand with a New Year’s resolution (or two). We’ve all been there: eat healthier, get healthier, save more, sleep more etc. etc. So what about the expansions, the over-hauls, and/or the restorations of our current homes? Typically, there are a large handful of us who include home renovations in their list of New Year’s to-dos, and we’re not necessarily talking about the sporadic spring clean and/or the occasional winter prep; but, instead, the opportunity to really do something for the structural improvement and/or visual well-being of our homes. So where do you
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Kim MacDowall