Tara Matthews

(778) 834-7355

5 Minute Tips: Prep Your Home for Viewing


You have potential buyers coming but you’re already running late for work. What can you do in 5 minutes that will have the most impact?


1. Tidy the foyer / front entrance.

The front entrance is the first impression of your home. Put away your family’s shoes, hats, jackets, mail, etc.


2. Turn on lights and open the curtains.

Brighter homes look larger and more welcoming. Your real estate agent would be happy to turn off the lights and close the curtains after the prospective buyers have left, if you ask them.


3. Give the powder rooms a once-over.

Put the toilet lids down, wipe any hair and toothpaste spills from the sink, and put away toiletries.


4. Remove personal items.

Quickly go through your home and remove personal items such as family photos, bills and jewellery. This will help potential buyers picture themselves making the home their own.


5. Shake off your welcome mat.

Make sure your welcome mat is clean, free of leaves, bugs or other outdoor distractions that have a habit of accumulating.

This quick and easy task list will help you present your home to buyers in the best light, and it will ensure your mind doesn’t wander back to your house throughout the day with worries that you did not leave your home as clean as you could have.


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Figuring out how much time you should spend viewing properties for sale is a little like asking, “How long should I spend trying on shoes?”

The answer seems obvious: As long as it takes to make a decision!

Buying a home is significantly more complex than purchasing shoes – and the stakes are higher too! You need to make sure you have all the information necessary to confidently make the best decision.

There are basically three stages to viewing a property:

  1. Macro
  2. Micro
  3. Professional

When you view a home on a macro basis, you’re looking at it from an overall perspective. For example, you may do a general walk-through to get a first impression and determine if the property has the basic features you need, such as the number of bedrooms and the size of the backyard.

Macro viewing is often the fastest stage in the viewing process and can sometimes take just a few minutes.

If you like what you see, then it’s onto the micro stage. At this stage you take a closer look at the details of the property. You might, for example, spend extra time in the master bedroom imagining how your furniture would look and fit.

The micro stage takes longer simply because the home is now on your shortlist. You’re interested and are considering making an offer.

Finally, the professional stage involves getting a qualified home inspector to go over the property with a fine tooth comb. That typically occurs after you’ve made an offer.

As your REALTOR®, I will guide you through a viewing so you’ll know what to look for and can make a smart, informed decision. Call today 778-834-SELL (7355)

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I have quite a few clients that are first time buyers and they've either shyed away from jumping head first into the rising market because of bidding wars or high cost, but now the government has stepped in and offered some help. The deal with the loan that everyone should be aware of is... It is a loan. You do have to pay it back in full, its not free money. The loan is interest free for the first 5 years, which is nice, but come year 5, you are responsible for keeping up with your monthly installments. 

 

As of January 16th the applicantions for the first time buyer's loan have been opened. They are set to approve 30 applications right off the bat. 

 

"Those already hunting for their first home, however, should know the loans are not available right away — the closing date on a purchase must be after Feb. 15, 2017 for your application to be considered."

 

Premier Christy Clark has said the second-mortgage program will help first-time homebuyers get into the "really tough housing market," but critics say it exposes buyers to too much debt and favours "a very privileged set of people." 

 

"If you get into the marketplace and get a little bit of equity, it can change your life," said B.C. Housing Minister Rich Coleman, who shared the story of his first home — a mobile home in Alberta — before building his own house a year later.

 

"The challenge of course is coming up with that down payment." Coleman said Monday afternoon that about 60 applications had already been started, 29 were submitted, and eight would receive letters of approval on Tuesday.

 

This loan is something you should think long and hard about taking. It does serve a purpose for those that just need to get there "in" into the real estate market. 

 

If you have any other questions about getting into the real estate market, please feel free to give me a call 778-834-7355. 

 

Full report from CBC News 

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