August 2018

Many homeowners like to save money on their home improvements by performing the work themselves. In addition, many homeowners enjoy performing DIY home improvements because they appreciate the feeling of satisfaction they get from caring for their own property. Still, some home improvement projects are best not left to the homeowner. Some home improvement projects can involve safety risks or are simply too easy to mess up. Homeowners who want to take care of their property and avoid problems when they sell must be aware of the differences.

Best DIY Projects

The best DIY projects are those that are easy to perform, involve little risk to the homeowner and are unlikely to result in serious damage to the property if they're performed

While the summer weather has heated up the real estate market is generally cooling off.  In July the trend of increasing listings available for sale and fewer sales continued with just 651 properties sold a decline of 17.6% from the 790 sold in July 2017. The number of listings available for sale was up to 2,607 at the end of July from 1,921 at the end of July last year.

Overall the proportion of listings available for sale relative to the number selling represents a balanced market with four month supply. Looking a little closer at specific property types, neighbourhoods and price ranges quickly reveals that there are significant differences in various parts of the market. For example under $750,000 in Victoria's core there are currently only 347

A home seller can take a number of different approaches to attract home buyers and get the offers they want. However, sellers need to understand how the process works before they start trying to add in their own special touches. Keep the main stages in mind to have a better idea of where to start and how to navigate your home sale without the hassle.

Declare a Budget

From staging and advertising to closing costs, home sellers need to hammer out their finances before deciding who to hire and how to list. Canadian buyers are usually required to hire a lawyer to ensure their paperwork is air-tight, so sellers should start researching average fees in their area as soon as possible. If sellers still have an active mortgage, they'll likely need to

Home buying may be specific to the type of home a buyer chooses and the neighborhood they hope to live in, but there are several stages that are common to all home buyers. Before delving into the details of each stage, learn more about how the process works as a whole to get a better sense of where to start.

Find a Price Range

Before a homeowner asks themselves if they want an adjustable or fixed-rate mortgage, they need to know more about the kinds of homes they can afford. Many buyers are surprised at just how much they're able to afford, regardless of their credit or financial standing. While the general rule is to keep a mortgage at about a third of the homeowner's monthly income, this is not always possible with the rising rates of home