Choosing A Neighbourhood – Ottawa Real Estate

Choosing A Neighbourhood – Ottawa Real Estate

Tips from Ottawa Real Estate Agent House Curious on Choosing the Perfect Neighbourhood to buy in.

Choosing a neighbourhood is a very important step in buying and selling a house. In fact, a good neighbourhood can make or break your living lifestyle and the quality of your life in your new home. For this reason it is very important to find a neighbourhood that has everything you need to have in order to live a happy humble life. This is true, especially if you are on a first time purchase state of mind. A good neighbourhood will take care of all the problems and will make sure to allow you to live happy and to enjoy your new house. Ottawa real estate agent House Curious decided to write this article to let you know everything there is to learn in order to find and choose the best neighbourhood for you and your family. If you follow this guidelines, we are sure that you will get a lot of good opportunities and that you will have no problem in choosing the best option for you.

The first thing to consider is the surrounding of the neighbourhood that you want to live in. In fact, one way that people choose the house they want to live in is by looking at the place and by seeing if it is suitable for youngster and children as well.  If you are choosing a neighbourhood, we advise you to look for a safe and calm one, that will have a lot of good places such as parks, schools and stores that will give you the possibility to live with everything at your fingertips.

The second point that you should keep in mind is the average cost of the neighbourhood. In fact, depending on the value of the other houses different neighbourhoods have certain standards. If you are trying to live with a small budget still make sure that you are happy with your purchase and that their are no inconveniences.

The last point that is important to take into consideration is the fact that a neighbourhood takes time to be familiar with and that you should consider to choose a smaller one in order to get better connections with the other people. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the neighbourhood such as driving through talking to some neighbours passing by to see if you feel comfortable.

We hope you enjoyed our tips to chose a neighbourhood that will really make your life easier and allow you to live without problems. We hope that you found this guide useful and that you got some value out of it. Please contact House Curious to assist you in your search for the perfect home for you.

Buying A House – Ottawa Real Estate

Buying A House – Ottawa Real Estate Agent

Why choosing an Ottawa Real Estate Agent is so Important.

Buying a House is one of the biggest investments that you will make in your life , Ottawa real estate agent House Curious is here to help you find the perfect home. With buying a house there are a great deal of responsibilities that will need to be fulfilled regularly in order to have a positive experience. Buying a house is not the easiest thing to do and can be a difficult process. Buying a house in Ottawa is a great investment and requires a lot of energy and effort in order to get everything in place. Which is why you need knowledgable Ottawa real estate agent to ease the process. With your real estate agent expect to get the latest house listing, tips for upgrading, help with putting in offers and buying to flip your house.

With the help of a real estate agent discover which is the best location, size and closest to your required necessities for your desired taste. Sometimes you may not realize what exactly it is that you need. With an real estate agent you will get assistance on choosing the type of house that is right for you. Your Ottawa real estate agent will help you find the best investment and negotiate to get the best deal, making it a smooth transaction.

Helpful Tips for Buying a House – Real Estate Agent Ottawa

Helpful Tips for Buying a House

Here Are Some Helpful Tips to Consider When Buying a House from Real Estate Agent Ottawa, House Curious

Buying a house is an exciting experience particularly for first time home buyers. The idea of finally having your own place and having the liberty of doing anything to it such as renovations makes buying a house a dream come true for most. However, being a homeowner is not that easy, you’ll have to consider your responsibility to maintain the house to keep its value for the coming years.

If you have decided that you are indeed ready to buy your own home and become a responsible homeowner, then read these tips for an enjoyable and stress-free house buying.

Finding a Suitable Location

One of the most important things to consider in buying a house is the location. Search for a house that is located strategically in a well-maintained community with nearby schools, hospitals, police stations, fire stations, public libraries, recreational facilities and whatever else suits your needs. Ideally, the community should be secure and with peaceful neighbours, this is why a real estate agent will be such a big help as she can assist you in choosing the perfect area for you.

House hunting is no walk in the park so be sure that you know your preferences. You can keep track of the houses that you are visiting by making notes of pros and cons for each location.

Determine Your Budget

Your financial capability is important when buying a house because it involves a large amount of money. Assess your credit score and be pre-approved before you begin your search.

Mortgage, which refers to a loan for the purpose of buying real estate such as a house is  recommended for homebuyers. Therefore, it is important to review your credit standing and see if you are qualified to apply for such loan to help finance your dream house.

A good credit score provides plus points for a mortgage application. Search for a lender which will guide you in the pre-approval. Pre-approval for a loan will depend on your current financial status. Getting pre-approved is a positive step to acquiring a mortgage it also keeps you on track on your house price limit. A pre-approval record is a good way to convince a house seller that you are sincere in buying that house so you can have a better bargaining power.

Consider a Real Estate Agent

A real estate agent can help you find a home that fits your requirements so make sure that that person is reputable and that he or she meets your standards. Also, make sure that your potential agent understands every detail of your preferences. A real estate agent will also guide you in the negotiation process with a potential house seller.

Negotiate Then Buy

If you find a house that you like, make an offer to the house seller. Make sure that you are armed with information on the current market value of houses in the area and most importantly know the lowest possible price that the seller is willing to agree on.

Once you have agreed on a price, you will have to go through the process of actually buying the house. This involves getting the expertise of a home inspector, drawing the terms of agreement and having a lawyer review the contract. After all the paperwork is done a deposit on your part will be placed in escrow until the sale is final.

Contact Joanne at House Curious today to help you find your dream home!

Transforming Your Home For Resale – Real Estate Agent Ottawa

Transforming Your Home For Resale- Real Estate Agent Ottawa

One of my favourite parts of my work as a real estate agent Ottawa is seeing the transformation that buyers make in their new home. It’s so easy for buyers to make improvements without spending a lot of money. The best time to act is right at possession time when excitement and pride of ownership is at its peak. I love to make suggestions as I show homes on how easily rooms can be improved. Structural repairs and big renovation projects are more costly and need to be budgeted for but here my 4 top improvements that are affordable and make a big impact.

• Paint – need I say more? Choosing the right colours and giving the space a fresh look goes a long way. If you don’t know where to start I definitely recommend a consultation with an interior designer to help you choose a paint palette. The cost of the consultation will outweigh the cost of the wasted cans of paint for colours that don’t turn out right.

• Backsplash Backsplash Backsplash – This is often overlooked. I am amazed at how many properties I sell that do not have a tiled backsplash. If there is not a current backsplash in the kitchen, it is quite simple to add one and can become a DYI project with so many tutorials available on the internet and in store demos. Even if you have to hire a tiler, it is quite affordable for small projects. Removing and replacing an existing backsplash is a bit more complex and might require hiring a contractor but can make a huge difference in giving the kitchen an updated look. There is a large variety of affordable tiles at home improvement stores and they don’t need to be expensive to create the desired effect.

• Cabinet update – Giving your kitchen or baths cabinets a fresh new look by painting, spraying or staining them goes a long way. Even though you might be planning on replacing them in the future this could buy you time. There is a great product called Renuit that can transform your kitchen. It goes a long way and is quite inexpensive but time consuming and must be applied properly. I’ve seen some great youtube tutorials that would be worth watching before starting. If your budget permits it, Home Depot offers a great resurfacing product for cabinet door replacement. You can order doors to match the exact sizes of the existing ones. If you are changing colours it is a bit tricky because the side panels will also need to match. They offer a full installation option also.

• Finishing touches – Your furniture and décor can make a great impact. Choosing the right style and sizes of pieces is important. It is important to forget the final touches. Drapes and area rugs finish a room perfectly. I LOVE area rugs. Don’t be afraid to go big. Most rooms that I see have area rugs that are too small for the space. A nice pattern or colour on the rugs make the biggest impact. Drapes should be the right length. If you can’t find them long enough in your budget, consider adding a border. I often buy several inexpensive pairs and cut and sew them and add a strip through the middle. This creates a custom look at box store prices. Ideally you should have two full panels to each side of the window and curtain rods should extend past the window. This way you are not covering up the window when you want light in and it also makes the windows appear wider than they really are.

Contact House Curious for a Real Estate Agent Ottawa today to assist you in selling your house today!