tips

Home Inspections are a must

Buying a home is one of the most important investment decisions you will make in your lifetime. As such, it makes sound financial sense to enlist the services of a qualified home inspection company to ensure your home is as solid and secure on the inside as it is on the outside.

A home inspection will determine the structural and mechanical soundness of your home. Your home inspector will identify existing and potential problem areas, suggest practical low-cost solutions, and provide estimates regarding costs for any work required. Shortly after the inspection has taken place, a report summarizing the findings is generally provided to the potential purchaser.

By commissioning a home inspection prior to purchase, you're protecting both yourself and your investment, as well as buying a little peace-of-mind.

Home inspection costs often range according to size, age, and location of the home. Your sales representative can recommend a reputable home inspection service or arrange for a home inspector to visit your property.

Making an offer

When it comes time to make an offer, I can as your Real Estate Professional provide current market information and will assist you in drafting your offer.

As your Real Estate Professional, I will communicate the offer, sometimes known as an Offer to Purchase, to the seller, or the seller's representative, on your behalf. Sometimes there may be more than one offer on a property coming in at the same time. As your Real Estate Professional, I can guide you through this process.

Firm Offer to Purchase

Usually preferable to the seller, because it means that you are prepared to purchase the home without any conditions. If the offer is accepted, the home is yours.

Conditional Offer to Purchase

Usually means that you have placed one or more conditions on the purchase, such as "subject to home inspection", "subject to financing" or "subject to sale of buyer's existing home". The home is not sold until all the conditions have been met.

Acceptance of Offer

Your Offer to Purchase will be presented as soon as possible. The seller may accept the offer, reject it, or submit a counter-offer. The counter-offer may be in reference to the price, the closing date, or any number of variables. The offers can go back and forth until both parties have agreed or one of you ends the negotiations.

Helpful Moving Tips

Use this helpful checklist as a reminder of the things you need to do before you move.

Book the movers. You can choose to have the movers pack everything, or just the breakables, or you can pack yourself. It's a good idea to obtain estimates from several different companies.

If You Own Your Present Home

• Arrange to have our gas, water, and electric meters read on the day you leave and have the bills forwarded to your new address.
• Have your oil tank read and filled before your sale closes, and provide a receipt to your legal professional if required.
• If the water heater or furnace is rented, arrange for a transfer of the rental agreement to the purchaser.
• Disconnect your telephone, cable TV, and water softener.

If you Rent Your Present Home

Give necessary written notice to your landlord and make arrangements for the return of any rent monies you have on deposit. The Tenant Protection Act states it is illegal for the deposit monies to be collected. At Your "New" home make arrangements for the gas and electric utilities, water softener, telephone and cable TV to be connected on the day the sale closes.

Helpful Hints:

• Get "Change of Address" cards from the post office and send out well before moving day.
• Have the post office forward your mail to your new address.
• Cancel any contracted services and pre-authorized cheques.
• Inform gardening, dry cleaning, garbage pick-up, newspapers, magazines, diaper and other home services. Arrange for service at your new address.
• Obtain a letter of introduction from your current branch to help establish new accounts. Transfer trust or bank accounts and securities.
• Cancel or transfer social, athletic, civic, religious or business affiliations and memberships.
• Arrange for transfer of medical, dental, prescription and optical records.
• Change the address on your driver's license(s) effective the day of the move.
• Collect all items out for cleaning, repair or storage. e.g. fur coats, dry cleaning.
• Make special arrangements for the moving of perishables, such as plants.
• Make special arrangements for the moving of your pets.
• Dispose safely of all flammable liquids as it is illegal for movers to carry them.