It’s official: you’ve signed the papers, dotted all the i’s and crossed the t’s—you own a new home! You’ve almost reached the end of your journey. However, now, faced with the daunting task of moving, it may seem as though the journey has just begun. Moving can be a time-consuming and stressful experience if you let yourself be overwhelmed by the job. Remember, though, having a successful move means taking care of the details, one by one. If you break the process down into steps and arrange your time accordingly, you can make it manageable. Use the following checklist to ensure you’re covering all the bases, and you will be well on your way to a successful move!

 Household

• Arrange to have your mail forwarded to your new address.
• Forward or cease all deliveries to your home, and forward or cancel newspaper and magazine subscriptions.
• Disconnect or take care of utility, cable and phone services and accounts.
• Arrange for utilities to be connected at your new house.
• Cancel pre-authorized bill payments.
• Begin going through closets and discarding any unnecessary items.

Packing

• Plan your packing. Start by purchasing or acquiring suitable containers. Most moving companies have specialized containers you can buy. Also, speak with others who have recently moved—they may be looking to get rid of boxes. You’ll need the following: small boxes for heavy items (books, tools, etc.); large boxes for bulky items (bedding, stuffed toys, etc.); medium boxes for bulky but less heavy items (towels, small appliances, etc.).
• Begin to collect other packing materials. Decide which items you’ll need from the following checklist:
  • White paper
  • Tissue paper
  • Paper towels
  • Newspapers
  • Non-printed paper
  • Packing tape or twine to seal boxes and containers
  • Scissors
  • Labels and stickers (available from your moving company)
  • Felt marker to label boxes -Notebook and pen for listing contents
  • Set goals and deadlines for yourself. Aim, for example, to pack one room per week.
  • Attach a list of contents to each box. Separate and label boxes to be placed in storage.
  • Consider holding a garage sale to rid yourself of excess belongings.
  • Begin to use up the food in your pantry and freezer. Let the food you already have dictate your menus.
  • Have rugs cleaned that are to be moved, then roll and wrap them.
  • Make special arrangements for the moving of plants or pets.
  • Collect all personal items from local services (dry cleaning, storage, photos).
  • Service all appliances you are taking with you. Note that all gas appliances must be emptied, as it is illegal for movers to carry flammable substances.
  • Take inventory of all the boxes, and contents of the boxes, you have packed.
  • Have your car serviced and tuned up.

Community

• Return library books.
• Clean out your locker at any club you are leaving.
• Determine how to transfer your children to a new school.
• Return items you’ve borrowed to friends, and collect any you’ve lent.
• Mail or e-mail change of address notices to family members, friends, and office contacts.

Records

• If needed, transfer medical and dental records, and fill prescriptions.
• Change the address on your driver’s license.
• Change the billing address for credit cards.
• Change the address for banking statements.
• Leave a record of security codes for new tenants.

Insurance and Legal Matters

• Visit your lawyer and ensure all documents are signed.
• Notify your insurance company well in advance of the move and ask them to review your policy.
• Transfer insurance to your new home, or acquire new insurance.
• Review your moving company’s insurance policy. If it doesn’t cover as much as you’d like it to, obtain your own.
• If you are currently renting a house or apartment, give written notice to the landlord.
• Have all keys to your old home delivered to your lawyer or realtor.

From MyRealPage.com 

The process of buying or selling a house seems to involve a million details. It is

important that you educate yourself on as many parts of this process as you can—this knowledge could mean the difference of thousands of dollars in the long-run. The legal issues involved in the process are often particularly intricate, ranging from matters of common knowledge to subtle details that might escape the untrained eye. Any of these issues, if not handled properly, could develop into larger problems.

With so many legal issues to consider, your first step should be to seek out experienced professionals to help educate you and represent your best legal interests. Begin with an experienced real estate agent, who can help guide you through the initial hoops. S/he should also be able to point you in the direction of a reputable local real estate lawyer to assist you in all legal matters involved in the purchase or sale of your house.

While there are countless legal details involved in a real estate transaction, some seem to pose larger problems than others. We’ve outlined two legal clauses that are commonly misunderstood and may cost you money if not worded correctly. Handle these carefully and you will be on track to a successful sale or purchase!

1. Home Inspection Clause

Some real estate transactions have been sabotaged due to the wording of the home

inspection clause. This clause originally allowed that the buyer has the right to

withdraw their offer if the home inspection yielded any undesirable results. However, this allowance was known to backfire, as Buyers took advantage of it, using some non-issue stated in the inspection as an excuse for having changed their minds. Of course, this was unfair to the Sellers, as they’d poured time and money into what they believed was a sure deal. Not only might they have missed out on other offers in the interim, but their house might also now be unfairly considered a “problem home.” Additionally, they’d now have to shoulder the costs of continuing to market the property. All of this adds up.

In order to remedy this potential problem, the clause should indicate that the seller

has the option of repairing any problems the home inspection might point to. With

this slight change in the clause, both buyer and seller are protected.

To ensure this clause is fair from one side of the bargain to the other, work closely with a lawyer experienced in these transactions and all the nuances that may affect the outcome for you.

2. Survey Clause

It is the right of a home buyer to add a survey clause to the real estate contract on the home they’d like to purchase. If you are on the selling end of the contract, be aware.

If you have added an addition or a pool to your property since the last survey was

produced, your survey will no longer be considered up-to-date and the Buyer may

request that a new one be drawn up—the cost of which you will incur. The price of

this process will run anywhere from $700 to $1000.

Your real estate agent has the responsibility to provide you with the most recent

survey of your home. It is then the Buyer’s right to decide if it is acceptable. An

experienced agent should offer you reliable counsel if you encounter an issue with

this clause, but it is advisable to talk to your lawyer if you’re unsure at all of the

potential ramifications involved. Remember, the wording of this clause could cost or

save you thousands of dollars.

From MyRealPage.com 

“You never get a second chance at a first impression.” We’ve all heard this expression before. And now, while you are preparing your house to sell, it should not be far from your mind.

While logical factors such as price and location narrow the pool of houses a potential buyer will look at, the ultimate decision to buy a particular house is fuelled by a mixture of logic and emotion. And emotion often wins out. The same might be said for the process of selling a home. For this reason, Real Estate Agents, when they talk to you about buying real estate, will refer to your purchase as a “home.” When discussing the sale of your current home, however, an agent will refer to it as the “house.” This is a conscious choice. The agent knows that buying a house is often an emotional decision, while, when selling a house, emotion should be separated from the process.

Buyers are searching for a “home”—a place in which they will feel comfortable, secure, and happy, a place in which they can imagine settling down and raising their family. As a seller, your goal is to cultivate these feelings through the property you’re selling. Look at your house as a marketable commodity. A buyer’s emotional response is triggered early, so you want to ensure you have done everything you can to encourage a positive response to your house from the outset. Within minutes—even seconds—of pulling into your driveway, buyers have formed an impression that they will carry with them through the rest of the showing, and beyond. Keep in mind, this impression will not only influence whether or not they make an offer, but also what they consider to be the value of the property.

If you’ve ever visited model homes, you’re familiar with effective presentation styles. Have you ever walked into one of these homes and immediately begun taking stock, planning how to get your home to look that good? Well, now is the time to take some of these steps. Of course, there are ways to achieve the same effect in your own home without incurring model home costs.

When homes create this immediate type of emotional appeal, they tend to sell quickly— and for more money. Use the following step-by-step guide to get your house into selling shape before you put the property on the market, and you’ll be well on your way to a successful sale!

1. Depersonalize.

This should be one of your first steps when you begin preparing your house to sell. Over the years, a home inevitably becomes tattooed with the owners’ lives, covered with touches that have made it that special place for you. At this point, however, you want buyers to recognize it as a property they could make into their unique place. When a homebuyer walks into a room and sees these personalizing touches—such as photos on the walls or trophy collections—their ability to picture their own lives in this room is jarred, impairing a positive emotional response. So, your first step will be to remove all the family photos, the trophies, collectible items, and souvenirs. Pack them all together, so you’ll have everything you need at your disposal when it comes time to personalize your new home. For the time being, rent a storage space and keep these items there. Do not simply transfer these items to another place in your house. Do not hoard them away in a closet, basement, attic, or garage, as the next step in preparing your home is to minimize clutter—and these areas of your house will all be targeted.

2. Remove all clutter.

The next step on the list is to purge your house of the excess items that have accumulated over the years. This is the hardest part for many people, as they have an emotional investment in many of these things. When you have lived in a house for several years, a build-up of personal effects occurs that is often so gradual that you don’t notice the space is becoming cluttered. If you need to, bring in an objective friend to help point out areas that could stand to be cleared. Try to stand back yourself and see your house as a buyer might. Survey shelves, countertops, drawers, closets, the basement—all places where clutter often accumulates—to determine what needs to go. Use a system to help you decide: get rid of all items, for example, you haven’t used in the past five years, and pack up everything that you haven’t used in the past year. Although getting rid of some things might be hard, try to do it without conscience or remorse. You’ll be forced to go through this process anyway when you move, and with each box you eliminate, your storage space—and the room in general—begins to look larger. We’ve broken down the process into specific areas of your house to help you concentrate your efforts:

Kitchen:

The kitchen is an ideal place to begin, as it’s easy to spot and eliminate the type of clutter that tends to accumulate here. Homebuyers will open your drawers and cabinets as they’ll want to check if there will be enough room for their own belongings. If the drawers appear cluttered and crowded, this will give them the impression there is not enough space.

• First of all, remove everything from the counters, even the toaster (the toaster can be stored in a cabinet, and brought out when needed).
• Clean out all the cabinets and drawers. Put aside all of the dishes, pots and pans that you rarely use, then box them and put them in the storage unit you have rented (again, not in the basement or a closet).
• If you, like many people, have a “junk drawer,” clear this out.
• Get rid of the food items in the pantry that you don’t use. Begin to use up existing food—let what you have on your shelves dictate your menus from now on.
• Remove all extra cleaning supplies from the shelves beneath the sink. Make sure this area is as empty as possible. You should thoroughly clean this spot as well, and check for any water stains that might indicate leaking pipes. Buyers will look in most cabinets, and will notice any telltale signs of damage.

Closets:

• Go through all clothes and shoes. If you don’t wear something anymore, get rid of it. We all have those clothes, too, that we wear only once in awhile, but can’t bear to give away. Box these items and keep them in the storage unit for a few months.
• Go through all other personal items in the closet. Be ruthless. Weed out everything you don’t absolutely need.
• Remove any unsightly boxes from the back of the closet. Put them in storage if need be. Get everything off the floor. Closets should look as though they have enough room to hold additional items.

Furniture:

• You may want to tour a few model homes in order to gauge the type of furniture chosen by design teams to create a spacious, yet comfortable atmosphere. Note how that furniture is arranged to cultivate a certain feeling.
• After having armed yourself with some ideas, stand back and look at each of your rooms. What will you need to remove? Remember, most homes contain too much furniture for showings. These are items that you’ve grown comfortable with and that have become incorporated into your everyday routine. However, each room should offer a sense of spaciousness, so some furniture will likely need to be placed in storage.

Storage Areas:

• Basements, garages, attics, and sheds: these are the “junkyard” areas of any given home. It is possible to arrange simple clutter into a certain order, but junk is sent packing to these often-hidden rooms. First, determine which of these boxes and items you actually need. Can some of it be sent to the dump once and for all?
• Hold a Garage Sale. You’ve heard the saying, “One person’s trash is another’s treasure.” Let these items go to a better home.
• Transfer some items to the rental storage unit. You’ll want to clear the storage areas in your house as much as possible, in order for them to appear spacious to potential home-buyers. Buyers want the reassurance that their own excess belongings will find places for storage in their new home.

You’ve been saving for awhile, weighing your options, looking around casually. Now

you’ve finally decided to do it—you’re ready to buy a house. The process of buying a

new home can be incredibly exciting, yet stressful, all at once. Where do you start?

It is essential you do your homework before you begin. Learn from the experiences of others, do some research. Of course, with so many details involved, slip-ups are

inevitable. But be careful: learning from your mistakes may prove costly. Use the

following list of pitfalls as a guide to help you avoid the most common mistakes.

1. Searching for houses without getting pre-approved by a lender:

Do not mistake pre-approval by a lender with pre-qualification. Pre-qualification,

the first step toward being pre-approved, will point you in the right direction,

giving you an idea of the price range of houses you can comfortably afford. Preapproval, however, means you become a cash buyer, making negotiations with the seller much easier.

2. Allowing “first impressions” to overly influence your decision:

The first impression of a home has been cited as the single most influential factor

guiding many purchasers’ choice to buy. Make a conscious decision beforehand

to examine a home as objectively as you can. Don’t let the current owners’ style

or lifestyle sway your judgment. Beneath the bad décor or messy rooms, these

homes may actually suit your needs and offer you a structurally sound base with

which to work. Likewise, don’t jump at a home simply because the walls are

painted your favourite colour! Make sure you thoroughly the investigate the

structure beneath the paint before you come to any serious decisions.

3. Failing to have the home inspected before you buy:

Buying a home is a major financial decision that is often made after having spent

very little time on the property itself. A home inspection performed by a

competent company will help you enter the negotiation process with eyes wide

open, offering you added reassurance that the choice you’re making is a sound

one, or alerting you to underlying problems that could cost you significant money

in both the short and long-run. Your Realtor can suggest reputable home

inspection companies for you to consider and will ensure the appropriate clause is

entered into your contract.

4. Not knowing and understanding your rights and obligations as listed in the

Offer to Purchase:

Make it a priority to know your rights and obligations inside and out. A lack of

understanding about your obligations may, at the very least, cause friction

between yourself and the people with whom you are about to enter the contract.

Wrong assumptions, poorly written/ incomprehensible/ missing clauses, or a lack

of awareness of how the clauses apply to the purchase, could also contribute to

increased costs. These problems may even lead to a void contract. So, take the

time to go through the contract with a fine-tooth comb, making use of the

resources and knowledge offered by your Realtor and lawyer. With their

assistance, ensure you thoroughly understand every component of the contract,

and are able to fulfill your contractual obligations.

5. Making an offer based on the asking price, not the market value:

Ask your Realtor for a current Comparative Market Analysis. This will provide

you with the information necessary to gauge the market value of a home, and will

help you avoid over-paying. What have other similar homes sold for in the area

and how long were they on the market? What is the difference between their

asking and selling prices? Is the home you’re looking at under-priced, overpriced,

or fair value? The seller receives a Comparative Market Analysis before

deciding upon an asking price, so make sure you have all the same information at

your fingertips.

6. Failing to familiarize yourself with the neighbourhood before buying:

Check out the neighbourhood you’re considering, and ask around. What

amenities does the area have to offer? Are there schools, churches, parks, or

grocery stores within reach? Consider visiting schools in the area if you have

children. How will you be affected by a new commute to work? Are there

infrastructure projects in development? All of these factors will influence the way

you experience your new home, so ensure you’re well-acquainted with the

surrounding area before purchasing.

7. Not looking for home insurance until you are about to move:

If you wait until the last minute, you’ll be rushed to find an insurance policy that’s

the ideal fit for you. Make sure you give yourself enough time to shop around in

order to get the best deal.

8. Not recognizing different styles and strategies of negotiation:

Many buyers think that the way to negotiate their way to a fair price is by offering

low. However, in reality this strategy may actually result in the seller becoming

more inflexible, polarizing negotiations. Employ the knowledge and skills of an

experienced realtor. S/he will know what strategies of negotiation will prove

most effective for your particular situation.

From MyRealPage.com