Important Questions to Ask Before Hiring Any Realtor.

 

  • Does the REALTOR® work with a top-notch Real Estate company?

  • Does the REALTOR® have a written marketing system?
    (To ensure your home sells quickly for top $$)

  • How many ways will the REALTOR® expose your home to the maximum number of potential buyers?

  • Will the REALTOR® create a Feature List of your home's special features? (To ensure all potential buyers know all the good features of your home)

  • Will the REALTOR do a Floor Plan of your home? So buyers can easily see room sizes and layout, allowing them to easily make a decision to buy your home.

  • Will the REALTOR pre-qualify potential buyers?
    (To ensure buyers are financially qualified to buy your home before showing them the home)

  • Will the realtor give ongoing market activity reports?
    (So at all times you know of all new listings and sales in your area)

  • How will the REALTOR® show your home to potential buyers?(Will they be personally present to show your home and point out all the good features? Or will they just hand out keys or put on a lock box?)

  • Will the REALTOR® give you regular feedback and comments after all showings?

  • Will the REALTOR® advertise your home in the Real Estate newspaper(s) and on the internet? (Will they have a full photo tour, inside & out, of your home?)

  • Will your Realtor be up on the latest from Revenue Canada if you are a Non-Resident for Tax Purposes?

    Please see the letter at bottom of this page

If the answer to any of these questions is "no", you are limiting chances of selling your home for top $$ in any market.

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Pricing Your Property

There are certain factors that are within our control and some factors beyond our control when it comes to setting the price.


Those factors within our control are:

The appearance of the property

How aggressively we market the property

The Pricing Strategy
 

Factors outside our control are:

location of the property

size and location of amenities

current market climate

competition
(other homes available to the same buyers)
 

It is important to accept those factors beyond our control and focus on the pricing and preparation. A property priced at market value will attract more buyers than a property priced above market value. Consider that a competitively priced property will also attract a greater number of potential buyers and increase your opportunity for a quicker sale.

 

Sold Price Statistics

The sold price statistics in your neighbourhood will tell you what today's market is willing to pay for your house. This is the target area you should be in depending on the time frame you have decided to sell your home.

You need to take a close look at the following:

Average prices

average days on market

List / sold ratio

Price increase since last year

 

 

Seller's Considerations

These questions are designed to help sellers of real estate analyze their pricing strategy. I can help with the answers to many of the questions after completing a detailed current analysis.

I look forward to the opportunity to work with you!

Am i selecting a realtor based on service or price?

IS the local market rising, falling or staying even?

is my opinion of value based on the actual NEIGHBOURHOOD sale prices?

HOW many homes in this area are competing against mine right now?
how does mine compare?

Have any NEIGHBOURING homes been on the market too long? why?

Is my home comparable to, larger or smaller than surrounding area homes?

Which improvements have i made since my purchase of the home that will actually increase value? which improvements might not?

Are my personal financial needs influencing my asking price?

is my original purchase price influencing my asking price?

 am i willing to price right and stand firm?

are the benefits of moving important enough to price my home at its current market value?

 

Money-Making Tips to Maximize the Value of Your Home

Positive first impressions of a prospective home buyer means so much to the successful sale of your home that making a small effort to ensure a good impression can pay off with big returns. This checklist covers many of the little things that set a good example, from the outside-in.

I also offer a FREE consultation with an Interior Designer to help you assess, reorganize and help showcase your home to it's best potential.

Tec Floors Designer T: 778 882 3338 Agnieszka

Remember - you never get a second chance to make a great first impression

 

INTERIOR

  • Wash down or paint the entry walls to continue the good first impression

  • Repair drawers and cupboard doors that squeak, stick or don't close

  • Free up hard-to-open windows and doors – especially closet doors

  • Repair leaky faucets or toilets that run continuously

  • Replace loose tiles, re-grout if needed, and scrub away any mildew

  • You are going to move anyway, so start now to remove all clutter from every room and get rid of or store anything you can live without; pay particular attention to the basement – you will be amazed at how much larger the rooms all look!

  • Give the kitchen a good top-to-bottom scrub, to make the walls, cabinets, appliances, counters and sinks shine

  • Make sure the closets are clear of everything except clothes that are neatly hung or folded to best show the size of the closets

  • Lighting is important! Use appropriate bulb wattage to lighten dark areas.

Exterior

  • Keep lawns and hedges neatly trimmed, weed flowerbeds

  • Clean out your garage or carport to show off its full size

  • Clean the outside windows, repair any broken panes

  • Oil all the gate hinges and latches; make any fence repairs required

  • Remove dead limbs and branches from trees – especially evergreens

  • Check all outside lights are working; house numbers are clean and easy to read

  • Touch up exterior paint as required, especially street-side

  • Keep walkways and exterior stairs clean of leaves, snow, etc.

  • Clean roof gutters to avoid "waterfalls" on rainy days

  • Don't let anything obstruct the street view of your "For Sale" sign

SHowings

  • Open all drapes and curtains to let the maximum natural light in – make sure the windows are all clean

  • Avoid cooking a meal that might cause a lingering odor; let lots of fresh air in

  • Put large pets outside and keep all pets away from prospects; try to eliminate any pet odors

  • Ideally, leave the house while it is being shown. If this is not possible, then settle the children quietly in one room. Let the REALTOR® do the talking - and walking; unless asked by the realtor do not join the tour of your home

  • Give brief, polite answers to direct questions but let your REALTOR® representative negotiate the sale

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Negotiating the Deal

Only the seller & buyer are parties to the contract and make the decisions.

Consider today's market.

Offers are generally a starting point for negotiations; the goal is for the two parties to agree on price, terms & conditions.

All contracts must be in writing, all changes initialed by all parties.

Negotiations should not be taken personally.

There is a "right of rescission" - any offer may be verbally revoked BEFORE written acceptance.

Sellers should not "hint" or give advice during negotiation/presentation of the offer – all discussion should be in private between the sellers and their listing agent, after presentation of the offer.

Buyers or Sellers should not discuss the offer with other parties until the deal is firm.

There are 3 choices for response to an offer:

Acceptance
Rejection
Counter Offer

The "ceiling price" is as high as the Buyer will go; the "floor price" is as low as the Seller is willing to go.

Price is not the only important point; consider completion and possession dates, as well as other terms & conditions.

The property will continue to be actively marketed until all subjects are removed.

I believe in negotiating strong, enforceable contracts (i.e. it is better to challenge "shaky" contracts early, rather than waiting until completion and hoping nothing goes wrong … after making subsequent decisions and commitments).

 

Decommissioning Oil Tanks

Please be aware that approval of oil tank removal is provided only by the Fire Department, as it falls under the BC Fire Code

Old unused oil tanks (used to store heating fuel before conversion to natural gas) were often buried beside houses, and if not properly emptied and left to rust through can cause serious environmental damage.  Empty tanks can also collapse after rusting, causing settling of the surrounding yard.

Decommissioning can mean the following:

1. Tank is removed from the property and disposed of under proper transfer regulations
2. Tank is completely emptied and filled with an inert material

Regulations since 2003 require that all oil tanks must be removed (even if they were previously decommissioned and filled with sand), unless specifically approved by the Fire Chief as not being practical to remove and filled with an “inert material”.

 Vendors are responsible to ensure that oil tanks have been removed or decommissioned from service as required by the BC Fire Code regulations, and for providing confirmation in the form of a Fire Department inspection certificate.

Special Alert:

Some insurance companies will no longer insure a home with an oil tank - whether or not it is in use. Check with your insurer for details.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR NON-RESIDENT SELLERS

 
Non-Resident Sellers

Non-Resident Sellers

Smart Investment - Great Return