Is Your Kamloops Home Not Selling? 17 Tips For Home Sellers

home for sale kamlooops sign real estate home sale mls listingWhen you are selling your Kamloops home, you as the homeowner can play an important part in the timely sale of your property. When you take the following steps, you’ll make your sale a profitable one.

1. Make the Most of that First Impression
A well-manicured lawn, neatly trimmed shrubs and a clutter-free porch welcome prospects. So does a freshly painted – or at least freshly scrubbed – front door. If it’s autumn, rake the leaves. If it’s winter, shovel the walkways. The fewer obstacles between prospects and the true appeal of your home, the better.

2. Invest a Few Hours for Future Dividends
Here’s your chance to clean up in real estate. Clean up the living room, the bathroom, the kitchen. If your woodwork is scuffed or the paint is fading, consider some minor redecoration. Fresh paint adds charm and value to your property. If you’re worried about time, hire professional cleaners or painters to get your house ready. Remember, prospects would rather see how great your home really looks than hear how great it could look “with a little work.”

3. Check Faucets and Bulbs
Dripping water rattles the nerves, discolors sinks, and suggests faulty or worn-out plumbing. Burned out bulbs or faulty wiring leave prospects in the dark. Don’t let little problems detract from what’s right with your home.

4. Don’t Shut Out a Sale
If cabinets or closet doors stick in your home, you can be sure they will also stick in a prospect’s mind. Don’t try to explain away sticky situations when you can easily plane them away. A little effort on your part can smooth the way toward a closing.

5. Think Safety
Homeowners learn to live with all kinds of self-set booby traps: roller skates on the stairs, festooned extension cords, slippery throw rugs and low hanging overhead lights. Make your residence as non-perilous as possible for uninitiated visitors.

6. Make Room for Space
Remember, potential buyers are looking for more than just comfortable living space. They’re looking for storage space, too. Make sure your attic and basement are clean and free of unnecessary items.

7. Consider Your Closets
The better organized a closet, the larger it appears. Now is the time to box up those unwanted clothes and donate them to charity.

8. Make Your Bathroom Sparkle
Bathrooms sell homes, so let them shine. Check and repair damaged or unsightly caulking in the tubs and showers. For added allure, display your best towels, mats, and shower curtains.

9. Create Dream Bedrooms
Wake up prospects to the cozy comforts of your bedrooms. For a spacious look, get rid of excess furniture. Colorful bedspreads and fresh curtains are a must.

10. Open up in the Daytime
Let the sun shine in! Pull back your curtains and drapes so prospects can see how bright and cheery your home is.

11. Lighten up at Night
Turn on the excitement by turning on all your lights – both inside and outside – when showing your home in the evening. Lights add color and warmth, and make prospects feel welcome.

12. Avoid Crowd Scenes
Potential buyers often feel like intruders when they enter a home filled with people. Rather than giving your house the attention it deserves, they’re likely to hurry through. Ideally ensure that you vacate your home for any home showings. Buyers will feel more at home in an empty home.

13. Watch Your Pets
Dogs and cats are great companions, but not when you’re showing your home. Pets have a talent for getting underfoot. So do everybody a favor: Keep Kitty and Spot outside, or at least out of the way.

14. Think Volume
Rock-and-roll will never die. But it might kill a real estate transaction. When it’s time to show your home, it’s time to turn down the stereo or TV.

15. Keep a Low Profile
Nobody knows your home as well as you do but the Real Estate Professional accompanying the buyers know what they need and what they want. If you absolutely need to stay home for a showing, do your best to stay in the background.

16. Don’t Turn Your Home into a Second-Hand Store
When prospects come to view your home, don’t distract them with offers to sell those furnishings you no longer need. Whether it’s the kitchen table, bar stools or a lamp.

16. Adjust the price of your home to the market conditions
When you initially list your home for sale you decide on a reasonable list price with your Realtor. If you do not get any offers in 30 days and there are few showings you have to look at your price. You can do all the above mentioned things but if your price is too high no one will buy your home. Look at recent sales that compare to your home, as comparing your home to other homes currently for sale poses a very simple problem; the other homes also are not selling. Ultimately price will sell your home.

If you’ve covered these 17 points in the sale of your home, you may have to ask yourself “what is our Realtor doing?” We suggest the following questions:
1. Where are you advertising my home?
2. What has been the feedback on the showings?
3. How many hits are we getting on line?
4. How do you feel our price is compared to other homes like ours?
5. What do you have planned for marketing our home in the next 30 days?

There are many important things that have to be done by both the listing Realtor and the home seller when selling a home. Ensure that you and your Realtor have the same expectations.

Click here for a free, no-obligation online home evaluation.

The HST and How It Affects Buying or Selling Real Estate In B.C.

Many consumers are unclear as to how the HST affects their home purchase or sale. Here is a short guide on how HST will affect you when purchasing or selling your Kamloops home.

The Home Seller:
• You will have to pay HST on any of the goods and services that you would have had to pay GST on before like legal fees and commissions.
•  For all resale homes, the buyer will not pay HST when purchasing your home. Buyers may find it more appealing to purchase previously owned homes to avoid paying the HST.

The Home Buyer:
• Like the home seller, you will have to pay HST on any goods and services like your legal fees, home inspections, etc.
• When purchasing a previously owned home, you will not pay HST on the sale price.
•If you are are purchasing a brand new home the HST will affect your sale price, with that said, you are eligible for rebates depending on the value of the home.

See the table below for the rebate rates (rebates are for homes that are intended for use as a primary residence):

HST Rebates for new homes kamloops real estate

For further information about HST click here.

To view the Ministry of Finance Tax Information Notice Click Here.

How Renovations Affect The Value of Your Home When It Comes Time to Sell

Are you are planning to remodel your Kamloops home? Do you know what renovations will be most beneficial to you when you sell your home? Some renovations add more value to your home than others. This will be factored into the value of your home when it comes time to sell. Here is a guide to help you decide what to remodel:

Kitchen renovation Kamloops Real Estate Home ValuesKitchen: It is important to have a functional kitchen with an ample amount of work space and efficient storage space. There are never enough electrical outlets in a kitchen, so the more the better. Consider a dual sink instead of a single basin sink. Use good quality products that will withstand time, stone and wood products have always been considered the best way to go in a kitchen. Pick appliances that are of the same style, color and make, a mish mash of appliances will take away from a beautiful kitchen upgrade.

 

Bathroom Renovation Kamloops Real EstateBathroom: Bring in the light with glass blocks. Add more storage space with efficient cabinet systems and recessed medicine cabinets. Counter space is always important so plan the renovation effectively, if there is not enough space for dual sinks stick to one. Much like the kitchen, high quality products will always withstand time, ceramic tile or stone flooring as well as a deep bath tub and large sink all add to a high quality bathroom renovation.

 

Siding Renovation Kamloops Real EstateSiding: It is easy to fix the outside of a home to make your home more appealing from the street. Vinyl siding looks fresh and needs minimal upkeep while stucco can be re-painted to get a fresh new look.

 

 

Window renovationWindows:  New windows don’t only make your home more appealing from the street but they also save you money. The energy savings for monthly utility bills can be significant depending on the age and shape of your old windows.

 

 

According to the Appraisal Institute of Canada, your remodel investment dollars pay back at different rates when you sell your home depending on the type of remodel you choose. In an ideal situation you will regain the money you put into a remodel but some projects will return more than others.  Here is an example of the potential return you can receive from a renovation.

Remodel Project Job Cost Expected Return Average Payback
Minor Kitchen remodel       $3,000         $2,300-$3,000              75%-100%
Major Kitchen remodel     $25,000      $18,800-$25,000           75%-100%
Bathroom Remodel           $8,500         $6,400-$8,500               75%-100%
Basement Remodel            $7,000         $3,500-5,300                 50%-75%
Fireplace Addition              $3,000         $1,500-$2,300               50%-75%
Deck Addition                    $6,000        $3,000-$4,500               50%-75%
Repl. Heating System        $4,000        $2,000-$3,200               50%-80%
Window Replacement      $6,000          $3,000-$4,500               50%-75%
Major Landscaping          $10,000        $2,500-$5000                25%-50%
 

Always consider the following when considering a renovation: The location of your property in Kamloops and the condition of the surrounding properties. What homes are selling for in your specific area and how they are comparable to your property. The condition of your property overall inside and out. Avoid doing too many high end renovations to your home unless the area you live in can support that level of renovations. Many homeowners renovate their home too much in comparison to other neighbouring homes and are unable to recoup the renovation costs. Over the past few years many people have tried to “flip” homes and fix an older outdated home and modernize them. Amateur home flippers have made the mistake of buying the nicest home on the worst street, location is always very important, so keep this top of mind whether it is for your primary residence or an investment project.

Marijuana Grow Ops: What They Are, How To Identify One and What To Do When You Suspect A Grow Operation

Marijuana Grow Operation BCGrow ops in BC continue to plague communities and Kamloops is not immune to this problem. Each grow operation presents many risks to the communities they exist in, such as drug traffic through the community and community safety related to this traffic. Marijuana production continues to be a multi-billion dollar industry in B.C. with thousands of charges laid against operators each year. There are endless stories of grow op busts of all sizes but the problem persists in B.C. and doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

What is a Marijuana Grow Operation?

Marijuana Grow Ops appear in homes or outbuildings in residential, rural or commercial/industrial areas. These operations can occur in apartments, small bungalows, large multi-million dollar homes and commercial buildings. The buildings appear to be fairly well maintained and don’t look out of the ordinary however the internal structure may have received significant structural, electrical and heating system modifications that are not up to code or deemed safe.

Changes to these systems are done to replicate warm, humid climates in which hybrid plants flourish to produce high potency marijuana. Structures that were previously Marijuana Grow Ops are often unsafe for human occupancy. This is because of compromised structural and mechanical integrity, as well as hazards from mold (mould) and chemical residue.

Is there a grow op in your neighbourhood? How to identify a grow op.

(It is important to note that a positive response to some of these questions does not mean it is a grow op house and that the residents are involved in criminal activity. Please use this questionnaire as a basic guideline only.)
1. Occupants don’t appear to have regular job hours and drive expensive automobiles.
2. Dark window coverings on many windows
3. Illuminated rooms or outbuildings nearly 24 hours a day.
4. Heavy condensation on windows, lack of frost or snow on roofs of houses when others have frost and snow. Blowing curtains from fans.
5. Abnormal number of roof vents or unusual amount of steam in cold weather.
6. Extra security such as large fences or guard dogs.
7. Entry is always through the automatic garage doors and residents are always in their cars
8. Strange smell or odor coming from the home.
9. Electrical humming sounds, numerous fans and running water.
10. Unusual wiring to the exterior of the home and or the hydro meter spins at a faster than normal rate.
11. Commonly experienced localized power surges or browning. Lights often dim or appliances slow down with lack of power.
12. Avoid making any contact with neighbours.
13. Toys are often outside the home but no children are ever seen at the home.
14. Large quantities of growing equipment & supplies are seen taken into the home/outbuildings but there are no flowers or gardens at the home. Often purchased in winter months.
15. Numerous pots, soil, garden hoses and fertilizers around the property.
16. Appears to be vacant, yard poorly kept and newspapers build up at the front door.
17. Hoses run from doors and windows to the outside of the home.
18. Visitors often park down the street and walk to the home.
19. In condominiums owners move in at night, disappear for long periods of time or you never see them move in.
21. Garbage days there is no garbage ever or there is no noticeable activity in the home but a lot of garbage.
Grow ops can either be lived in or maintained by visiting gardeners. The RCMP see a lot of operations now where the whole house is used, on the other hand, sometimes only a small portion of a home is used.

How to detect a Marijuana grow operation when purchasing a home.

When purchasing a home it is important to do all the appropriate tests and inspections to safeguard your purchase. A thorough environmental assessment which includes an air quality and mold inspection should be conducted. A proper inspection for mould should be thorough and include numerous air samples (spore test) and visual inspection of the structure. These comprehensive tests will survey the air quality to identify and locate hidden pollution and mould levels indoors. These tests will identify any areas that had previous grow operations and contain abnormal levels of mould or chemical pollution. These agents alone can cause serious health problems leading to long term conditions.

A listing Realtor is required by the Canadian Real Estate Association to have a home owner fill out a Property Condition Disclosure Statement. This statement is filled out by the home owner and requires a home owner to disclose any “material latent defects” such as a grow operation that cannot be detected with reasonable investigation. Grow op owners can and have hidden obvious signs of a previous grow operation and not disclosed it in this form. A potential buyer unfortunately has to search deeper before assuming all facts are disclosed by the homeowner. Talking to neighbours and local authorities often can uncover information.

If you suspect a marijuana grow-op in your neighbourhood

If you suspect a property is being used to grow marijuana or that a property has a bypassed electric meter, contact your local Police. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (1-800-222-8477).

RCMP Grow Op Information
BC Hydro Grow Op Information

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