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| Lynn Fee
Sales Representative
905-945-0660
905-975-1055 |
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| Posted on Wed, 17 Feb 2010, 10:45:03 AM in Home Inspection | | | | When you purchase a home, it's often recommended that you have a home inspection done. In fact, a typical Agreement of Purchase & Sale Form will include a standard preprinted clause with respect to home inspections. This is one of the most common conditions in an offer to purchase a property. When real estate markets are extremely active and you really want a particular home, skipping the home inspection and not placing this kind of condition in an offer can be tempting. Before you make the decision, consider the benefits of a home inspection.
If there is a Seller Property Information Statement (SPIS), you may receive a copy and have a general sense of comfort about the history of the property. However, you should keep in mind that the person selling the home may not be aware of property defects and that the information provided in the SPIS is based only on their personal knowledge.
Similarly, the broker or salesperson representing you in the transaction may have the experience to identify visually obvious defects, but underlying problems can exist.
A qualified and experienced home inspector will examine the major systems in the home such as:
-Electrical
-Roofing
-Plumbing
-Heating/Air Conditioning
-Foundation
-Septic Systems
Many home inspection companies encourage you to attend the inspection and ask the inspector questions during the process and about the results of the inspection. The decision is yours to make, but you will be better informed and able to assess whether or not you want to invest in any upgrades or repairs that might be needed.
If you have any questions about home inspections or are considering whether to have one or not, I can certainly offer some advice. Feel free to contact me at 905-945-0660 or directly by e-mail at lynnfee@remax-gc.com | |
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| Posted on Mon, 18 Jan 2010, 08:20:20 PM in Open House | | | | I'm often asked, How do I prepare for an open house? Some people believe open houses are simply an opportunity to turn on your lights, leave your home, and let the Realtor work their magic. While we work hard to sell your home during an open house, there are some questions you should ask your realtor, as well as some advice on what to do while preparing for your open house.
Below are some examples of questions you might want to ASK A REALTOR before your open house:
Will you or a registered salesperson be present during the entire open house?
Where will you advertise my open house to get the best exposure?
Will attendees of the open house be asked to sign in?
Will you have professional, colour feature sheets to hand out that shows them all the features of my home?
Will you limit the number of individuals in my home at any one time to ensure my home remains safe and secure?
Will you check all doors, windows and other access points prior to locking my home at the end of the open house?
Will you engage those people who enter our open house to determine if they might be interested in our home and be able to answer all their questions?
Will you follow-up with any of these people who have left their names and contact information afterwards to see if they might have questions that they didn't have a chance to answer during the open house?
Will you provide me with feedback and information that might help me to ensure my home is as "buyer-friendly" as possible?
Below are some STEPS YOU CAN TAKE to prepare for an open house:
Remove small valuables from view.
Remove medications from all rooms in the home including your medicine cabinet.
Tidy up as much as possible, putting away stray clothing hanging on doors and day-to-day "stuff" on countertops.
If any clutter has been added back to the home since original staging & photos, now's a good time to get it put away.
Fresh flowers (seasonal), a low-scent candle burning, even soft music can sometimes add to the overall ambience.
If you have pets, it's very important to ensure litter has been changed as visitors will pick up scents that you don't notice.
Best bet is to remove the pets during open house, if possible, as some visitors make assumptions and worry about allergies, etc.
Keep your bills, credit card receipts, and bank statements out of view. You may want to store them with your other valuables.
Take inventory/pictures of your property and what was stored so you will know quickly if anything is missing.
Consider removing personal photographs that may be on display.
If you have summer photos (in Winter) that display areas of your home otherwise difficult to imagine, now's the time to have a few available.
Try to avoid the plug-in air fresheners which shout "covering smells" - instead a little cinnamon simmering on the stove is warm & inviting
Stay away and have a fun day!
As a full-time Grimsby Realtor, I work with people like you in preparing your home for an open house. If you have any questions about open houses or have any comments regarding this post, please feel free to e-mail me at lynnfee@remax-gc.com.
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