Tips for keeping heating costs down in winter
Posted on Dec 19, 2019 in Home improvements
Ten ways that may reduce the cost of heating your house in winter…
1. Open and close the drapes or blinds: when the sun shines, let its heat in and, when it doesn’t, keep the cold out.
2. Cold in bed? Instead of turning up the thermostat, consider a low-energy electric blanket.
3. Make sure the furnace filter is clean: a dirty one makes the furnace wo...
House buying and its partnership possibilities
Posted on Dec 16, 2019 in Buying a house
It’s 25 years since singer Jimmy Buffett recorded Fruitcakes, an irreverent song about life, with lyrics that included these words:
“Relationships…we all got ‘em, we all want ‘em…what do we do with ‘em?”
Cohabitation is more acceptable now than it was then, sometimes even for the most practical of reasons.
For example, jointly buying a house or condo...
Coming soon…B.C.'s 2020 property assessments
Posted on Dec 12, 2019 in Property Assessment
Property assessments for 2020 will be released on January 2, the same time they are every year.
There’s a couple of things you should know about your property assessment:
• It is based on evaluation as of July 1, 2019.
• You will be notified of your new assessment if it is “changing significantly more than the average change” from 2019.
The next monthl...
Explaining terms for different types of homes
Posted on Dec 09, 2019 in Real estate terminology
In the newsletter subscribers receive every month (News From Nexus), statistics are published from four of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver areas that we most often serve — West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Vancouver East and Vancouver West.
Within each there are three categories:
• Detached homes
• Attached homes
• Apartments
What are they?
The...
Selling tip: the importance of plusses, minuses
Posted on Dec 05, 2019 in Selling a house
Do the math.
Small expenses can protect large returns.
That’s one tip when selling your house, but it can be applied in many areas.
To make your house show well, fix at least everything that visibly needs fixing. Squeaky doors. Loose handles or handrails. Cracks in walls or sidewalks. Lights that don’t work. Anything that looks dirty.
Compared to what...
‘Sales’ with no connection to Christmas shopping
Posted on Dec 02, 2019 in Real estate market
It’s widely believed that planning a real estate transaction around Christmas is unwise.
Or is it?
Buying a house is often an emotional experience. A house warmed by a burning fireplace and dressed up with a Christmas tree and decorations can have a nice feel to it for both buyers and sellers. Despite wintry weather, the house looks appealing and sho...