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Page SPRING HOME GARDEN Friday March 1991 Plan house sale thoroughly to avoid surprises This article Is provided by local realtors and the Ontario Real Estate Association for the benefit of consumers In the real estate market Are you thinking of selling your borne once the warm weather sets in The spring and summer months are popular times of the year to sell so if youre ponder ing this route be sure to plan your sale thoroughly so you wont be faced with any unpleasant sur prises down the road Selling your home Is a major event that requires an organized stepbystep approach allowing you to anticipate all possible cir cumstances particularly if you plan to purchase another home and make your purchase condi on the sale of your present home One of the first things your realtor will ask when listing your home is why are you selling So its a good idea to identify your reasons for selling ahead of time and prioritize your needs ac cordingly If you have to relocate for instance you should realize that you probably wont be able to take your time with the sale In fact you may even have to adjust your price somewhat IMPROVEMENTS If you havent made many provements or changes over the years dont attempt to take on any major projects just to sell This can be a costly lengthy pro cedure and there are no guarantees that youll be able to recover all of your costs Instead see what types of minor cosmetic improvements can be made such as painting floor refinishing and so on These projects dont require a great deal of capital and improve your homes visual appeal Your realtor can suggest what im provements make sense You should also make a list of all your home maintenance and operating costs so you can give your realtor all the pertinent in formation he or she needs to list your home Its also a good idea to gather your mortgage documents tax bills and property survey together and keep all of this Information together in a file for quick reference When choosing a realtor try to pick someone who specializes in your local area if at all possible Ask your neighbors and friends to recommend someone Try to in two or three realtors and ask for credentials and a portfolio containing proof of trading along with the names of former clients During these interviews you The importance of hidden features Naturally when buying a home there are many key features upon which your decision may be based Customarily you begin with surface features such as lot placement room size and basic floor plans These are characteristics of the home mat appear at first glance The trick to making a good decision is to look past the basic features to more detailed observations that may not be as obvious to the inexperienced buyer Small but important aspects like the structure of the house in particular the roof are elements that make difference between a good purchase and a great purchase Look for signs of structural problems that will show themselves in the way of large cracks in the ceilings or walls Pay close attention to the various systems in the residence Review the heating electrical and plumbing systems Any malfunction in these systems may cause huge unexpected expenses I REAL ESTATE AND YOU Jamie Johnston Be sure to inquire about the type and amount of insulation Make sure it is safe and that there is lots of it Additional insulation can save you hundreds of dollars in heating bills by preventing you from heating the great outdoors If you are uncertain about the structure of any system invest a small amount of time and dollars to ensure that the features of the house are legitimate Ask your salesperson for the name of a property inspection company to help you out For a free copy of our How To Buy A Home brochure please call or visit a Canada Trust Real Estate office near you I Hand were celebrating by offering you a FREE SET OF OAK FRENCH DOORS or equivalent credit with every home addition Ask us about our Spring Renovations Specials too will ask the realtors to give you a market evaluation of your pro perty this will give you an in dication of the price range your home should be in One of your realtors prime tasks Is arriving at an accurate estimate of value for your home It involves analysing your home and comparing it to other similar houses for sale or those that have recently sold This pro cess may also include a broader market survey using sales statistics available only to realtors DONT BE SWAYED SOLELY BY PRICE When making your decision on hiring a realtor dont be swayed solely by his or her suggested price range for your home Make sure you choose someone you trust to do a good job selling your home and remember to be realistic in your expectations If your home Is overpriced it will take much longer to sell Once you have decided on a realtor he or she will draw up a listing agreement The listing agreement spells out exactly what your realtor will do on your behalf and should specify the amount of profes sional fees normally a percen tage of the selling price to be paid to him or her from the sale of your home When you sign the listing agreement you give your realtor the right to act as agent in the sale of your house for a specified period of time often three to six months EXCLUSIVE OR MLS LISTINGS Depending on your cir cumstances your realtor may recommend an exclusive listing giving his or her brokerage sole authority to offer your property for sale within a specified time frame During these interviews you will ask the realtors to give you a market evaluation of your pro perty this will give you an m dication of the pnee range your home should be in One of your realtors prime tasks is arriving at an accurate estimate of value for your home It involves analysing your home and comparing it to other similar houses for sale or those that have recently sold This pro cess may also include a broader market survey using sales statistics available only to realtors BE SWAYED SOLELY BY PRICE When making your decision on hiring a realtor dont be swayed solely by his or her suggested price range for your home Make sure you choose someone you trust to do a good job selling your home and remember to be realistic in your expectations If your home is overpriced it will take much longer to sell Once you have decided on a realtor he or she will draw up a listing agreement The listing agreement spells out exactly what your realtor will do on your behalf and should specify the amount of profes sional fees normally a percen tage of the selling price to be paid to him or her from the sale of your home When you sign the listing agreement you give your realtor the right to act as your agent in the sale of your house for a specified period of time often three to six months EXCLUSIVE OR MLS LISTINGS Depending on your cir cumstances your realtor may recommend an exclusive listing giving his or her brokerage sole authority to offer Jour property for sale within a time frame However multiple listings via the Multiple Listing Service MLS are more common because they provide access to a much broader base of potential buyers to provide the best Homeowners insurance value in town GREENE 72B Main Street N Georgetown 8731615 LORA GREENE Agent CALL ME State Farm Fire and Casualty Company Home Office Scarborough Ontario Like a good neighbor State Farm is there SPRING INTO SUMMER SAVINGS SAVE ON ALL INSTOCK ITEMS Prices In Effect Until May 15th 1991 NYLON SCULPTURED RUBBER BACK CARPET 9 Colours I V so YD OZ STAIN TREATED NYLON SAXONY Colours IV SO I YD VINYL CARPET REMNANTS Guelph St Georgetown Ontario