Kitchener-Waterloo Homes

How to pass a Home Inspection

It’s a misconception to think of a home inspection as a “pass or fail” test.

Rather, a home inspection is an assessment of the condition of the major accessible elements of the home by a professional trained inspector. Issues may arise based on a buyer’s specific concerns regarding the home inspection report findings, their particular expectations and the specific terms of the sales contract. But there are things you can do to help the home inspection go smoothly, ensuring the best possible outcome for all parties and the least inconvenience to you.

Check out this information from HouseMaster

Designing Your Deck

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In this video by Lowe’s Mike touches on some of the important considerations involved when you design a deck for your home. Regardless of whether your home is in Waterloo Region or not, the principles of deck design are basically the same.

You should always plan carefully, find out what the local bylaws permit or don’t permit, and try to think of all the important variables before settling on a design.

Which Do You Need – Handyman or General Contractor?

If you are not familiar with home renovations you probably don’t know how a handyman differs from a general contractor. The more experience you have with home improvement projects, and work with a few different tradespeople, you’ll get a pretty good idea of their special capabilities and limitations.

For the most part a handyman is useful for smaller tasks which do not require extensive work by a number of different trades people. For instance, if you are doing a complete kitchen makeover you’d better find a good contractor rather than a handyman.

That’s because in the Waterloo Region area a project like that requires the skills of several different trades people: carpentry, drywalling, flooring, tiling, cabinetry, plumbing, electrical and painting. There may be a few handymen out there who can do all of these things, but when they start bringing in other specialists to help out, they are basically acting as a general contractor.

The best advice is to use a skilled handyman who specializes in specific types of smaller projects – for example, installing new cabinets, replacing a window or refinishing a floor. When you get outside of a handyman’s area of expertise it is probably time to find a good general contractor.

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How to shoot photos of your home when selling

One of the best ways to entice prospective buyers to look at your house is to include good photos with your listing. To get good photos you need to think about the process before you begin shooting with your camera.

Here are some tips from a recent article called How to shoot photos of your home for the real estate market.

1. Use a tripod and wide angle lens if you have one. The wide angle lens will allow you to take wider shots of large rooms.

2. Get rid of clutter. Look carefully at the shot through the camera lens before you take the picture. Be on the lookout for out-of-place items, stray things like towels or dirty dishes, and so on.

3. Set each room up before shooting. Take excess furniture or clutter out of your shots.

4. Lighting is very important. Try not to take pictures with bright sunlight coming through windows. It is better to have subdued lighting coming through the windows, with your indoor lights turned on.

5. For small rooms try shooting from outside the door with just a bit of the door frame showing.

6. Compare the vertical lines in the shot (walls, door frames, appliances) with the edge of the photo. You can often eliminate crooked looking edges by raising or lowering the camera.

7. Take exterior shots when the lighting is most dramatic – early morning or early evening. Try to avoid mid-day sunny conditions.

Replacing a Deadbolt on your Entry Door

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Adding a deadbolt to an external door on your Waterloo region home is a great way to increase the safety and security of your entry door. In this video, Mike from Lowe’s demonstrates the easiest way to install or replace a deadbolt.

Note the use of a lockset template to make boring the necessary holes in the door much easier.

Different paint finishes for different uses

Generally speaking, the more shiny or “glossy” a paint finish is, the harder and more scuff resistant it is. Oil base paints are also harder than water-based or latex paints.

For the maximum in scuff resistance high gloss oil-based paint is the answer. This combination is pretty much exclusively used for exterior painting of siding, doors and windows.

For interior use ceilings and walls are usually done with water-based paint having a lower gloss finish. Remember that the glossier the finish the more little imperfections and flaws in the surface show up.

Ceilings are best done in flat finish paint to eliminate reflection and hide imperfections. For walls painters and decorators usually use either flat or, more often, egg shell with just a hint of gloss, to give them a slightly harder, more resilient finish that can be washed occasionally.

Interior wood work or trim – such as doors, windows and baseboards are often done in a semi-gloss finish because they tend to get more wear and tear than the actual walls or ceilings.

Often walls and trim in bathrooms and kitchens will have harder, glossier finishes than in other rooms because they come in contact with moisture and must be cleaned or wiped down more often.

U.S. real estate opportunities for Canadians

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The housing slump in the U.S. is now into its third year. There is no upturn in sight for at least the next year. In fact it is projected that there will be a record number of foreclosures in 2011.

In this interview Rob Carric of the Globe and Mail discusses opportunities for Canadians with Terry Ritchie an experienced cross-border financial advisor.

According to Ritchie while median home prices in cities like Calgary are more than $400,000, a very nice home can be purchased in many cities in Arizona for as little as $150,000.

The downside is that credit for U.S. homes is virtually non-existent, so purchases must be made with cash. Ritchie also discusses other tax and regulation considerations.

Should You Invest in Remodeling?

According to Remodeling Magazine’s 2010-11 Cost vs. Value Report some remodeling projects return a higher rate of resale “value” than others. The ones that add most value to the resale bottom line are mid-range projects that improve first impressions.

Of course these numbers will vary from region to region, and from home to home depending on local conditions. On average across the U.S., the top five typical projects and their impact on resale value were as follows:

Project 1 – Entry Door Replacement – This project replaces an older wooden door and door jambs with a 20-guage steel door with dual-pane half-glass panel, door jambs, and aluminum threshold. The door color must complement the trim color of the home.

Typical cost: $1,218
Resale value: $1,243
Cost recouped: 102.1%

Project 2 – Garage Door Replacement – When replacing a garage door it is important to not buy a more expensive product than is necessary. Usually a basic door will do the job. Adding relatively low cost options like windows and a belt-driven opener (rather than chain drive) can make an important impact.

The sample project uses the old opener and has a 10-year limited warranty.

Typical cost: $1,291
Resale value: $1,083
Cost recouped: 83.9%

Project 3 – Siding Replacement – The payback for this project will vary greatly depending on the materials chosen. In the sample project they replaced 1,250 square feet of siding with new fiber-cement siding along with all trim. Prepainted siding is best because new home buyers are impressed by its low maintenance.

Typical cost: $13,382
Resale value: $10,707
Cost recouped: 80.0%

Project 4 – Kitchen Remodel – Most homeowners know that kitchen and bathroom remodels are important to prospective buyers. But they often pay too much for renovations in these areas. Try not to “overimprove” the kitchen when remodeling, because cost recover will not be as great as you think.

In the sample project old cabinets were given new fronts and hardware, old stove was replaced with a new energy-efficient model, sink was replaced with a mid-priced sink and faucets. Laminate countertops were also replaced, as well as flooring.

Typical cost: $21,695
Resale value: $15,790
Cost recouped: 72.8%

Project 5 – Deck Addition – A properly designed deck can be a significant addition to your home, but if it is too small, poorly designed or improperly constructed it will be seen as a drawback to the home. In many areas an outdoor living space is essential, so the return is relatively high.

Find a good contractor who can advise you on the best way to approach the project and who will let you do some of the work. The sample project is 16 x 20 feet with 4 x 4 posts anchored to concrete piers. It has a complete railing system as well as a built-in bench and planter.

Typical cost: $10,973
Resale value: $7,986
Cost recouped: 72.8%

For more information see Cost vs. Value: Help Clients Stretch Their Remodeling Dollars

Canadian Govt Not Aiming to Tighten Mortgages

According to Jim Flaherty, Canada’s Finance Minister, the federal government has no plans to clamp down on the housing market with new, tougher rules for mortgages.

Their concern is to prevent the housing market from overheating. That was why they introduced new lending rules back in the spring.

The Conservatives toughened the requirements to get a government-insured mortgage earlier this year. The new rules require that all buyers must qualify for a five-year, fixed rate mortgage, even if they chose a variable rate.

The impact of those measures plus the introduction of the HST in Ontario and BC cooled the housing market considerably over the summer. So, according to Flaherty, it is not likely new measures will be required unless conditions change.

Most real estate experts predict that the real estate market in Canada will remain stable over the next year or so.

Advice for Buying a Home in the Waterloo Region

Purchasing a home in Waterloo Region could be one of the most exhilarating and satisfying things you ever do, or it can be one of the largest challenges you will ever go through. How you experience the Kitchener-Waterloo home purchasing process depends entirely on how well prepared you are and the quality of the professionals assisting you in the process. This piece should clarify a lot of the confusion you might be experiencing regarding investing in a home in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.

1. Get a pre-approval

In a hot housing market, pre-approved purchasers get preferential service when negotiating a deal. What is the reason for this? Because pre-approved buyers are financially qualified to purchase the home and are considered more prepared than buyers who lack pre-approval.

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