Real Estate Stats for Oliver, British Columbia, for the month of January, 2020. Statistics taken from SOREB – the South Okanagan Real Estate Board.
This Year-to-Date comparison is taken from a relatively small time period. Stats can seem to differ more greatly when not taken from a large pool.
The statistics are provided by the South Okanagan Real Estate Board. For more information on the local real estate market, contact Beth!
Outdoor spaces are being reclaimed by more and more homeowners every year, as they realize the pleasures of enjoying their property’s value to its fullest. If you’re looking to upgrade your patio, deck or garden space, consider a makeover approach that’s similar to the way you might approach your interior décor. Start with a plan. Define the features within the sightlines of your area and make a note of where the sun tracks through the day. Identify the areas that are exposed or shaded at specific times of day and use that to determine where you might want to create dining, leisure and/or social areas.
Once that is clarified, it’s time to fulfill your aspirations. Begin by choosing the surface of your patio or deck space. Look at stone, wood and composite decking options. Then consider how to make your outdoor space more liveable with an umbrella, tent, awning, gazebo, or removable panels or screens. Next, it’s time to consider weatherproof furnishings and décor. Determine whether you want to extend visual patterns from indoors or create a new oasis outdoors. Don’t forget the importance of lighting, and other powered amenities like a fountain, fan, music system and outdoor refrigerator.
Real Estate Stats for Oliver, British Columbia, for the 2019 year-end. Statistics taken from SOREB – the South Okanagan Real Estate Board.
2019 saw a decrease in listings and number of sales, but a 4% increase in Single Family Home prices over 2018, and approximately 11.5% increase over 2017
The statistics are provided by the South Okanagan Real Estate Board. For more information on the local real estate market, contact Beth!
As you can probably guess, when you’re preparing to move, you’ll need boxes and tape – and, perhaps some bubble-wrap or old newspapers to use as protective wrapping for delicate items.
But that may not be all you need. Take a look at this list and see if you’ll want any of these on hand while you’re packing, or on moving day.
Planning ahead and having the right packing materials on hand will make your move less stressful and, hopefully, damage free!
If you have a home that is overdue for a renovation, you might be worried that it will be difficult to sell as a “fixer-upper”. In fact, you might delay listing your property for that reason.
The good news is, you don’t need to fix up everything in your home to prepare it for sale. You can be selective and choose only those projects that are most likely to help your home show well and sell quickly.
Even if your home is older, you can make it more attractive to buyers with any one of these projects.
Want more ideas for finding eager buyers for your home? Call Beth today.
Want to make your bathroom look fantastic without having to do a major renovation? There are a lot of projects you can do yourself. In fact, there are some improvements you can get done in less than a day that will transform the look and feel of your bathroom. Check out these ideas:
These bathroom improvement projects can make a huge impact on the look of your bathroom. And, they can all be done affordably and in just a day or two.
Ideally when you sell your home, you want to process to go smoothly and relatively stress-free. While things may happen that are outside your control, there is a lot you can do to ensure that the selling experience is a good one.
Consider these four steps to reduce worry and stress when listing your home:
Learn the selling process. find out what to expect when the FOR SALE sign goes up. How will viewings be scheduled? Will an Open House be needed? What happens when there is an offer? The more you know, less mysterious – and, therefore, less stressful – the experience will be.
Schedule wisely. Use a calendar to block out times for viewings and other selling-related activities. Be sure to schedule plenty of time to clean and de-clutter your home before a viewing or Open House. Try not to have a tight schedule during the sales period.
Anticipate issues. The more problems you can foresee, the better you’ll be prepared to deal with them as they arise. For example, if you know you’re going to have a busy week at work, start making plans now to deal with viewings and related matters during those days.
Make decisions. Things can move quickly in the real estate market. There might be times when there are no enquiries at all, and then suddenly two offers might come in.
Be prepared to make some quick decisions. Fortunately, with sounds advice from me as your real estate agent, making those decisions will be a lot easier.
So, follow these simple steps. They’ll help make your sale less worrisome, and even enjoyable! And as always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions!
Many people who own condos consider their property to be an income generator rather than a primary residence. If you are among them, and have purchased a condo as an investment rental unit, you should be aware that there are added requirements attached to your ownership.
For example, if your property becomes vacant from time to time, you should alert your insurance company. A temporary adjustment to your homeowner’s policy may be implemented during the time the condo is unoccupied, because there is increased risk of undetected damage due to break-ins and/or vandalism, extreme weather, or utility failures such as plumbing leaks and electrical short-circuits.
In fact, in some cases, an insurance policy may be cancelled outright if the insurer has not been notified that the property is vacant, or if a supplementary policy has not been taken out, possibly with a secondary insurance provider. Of course, such coverage will likely change your premiums during the time your condo is unoccupied, but you will be in a much more secure position knowing you are covered for unexpected events during the time you don’t have a tenant.
BC Real Estate Association (BCREA) Chief Economist Brendon Ogmundson discusses the September 2019 statistics.
“Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission.”
For most people, smoke detectors are simply taken for granted. But, when it’s time to replace your smoke detectors, be sure to understand the differences between the two main types.
Ionization types use a battery to create a small current that charges the ion particles inside the detector. If that current is disrupted by smoke, an alarm is triggered. Though they are designed to detect all types of smoke, they tend to be more sensitive to smoke from fast-flaming fires, such as those that might occur in a kitchen. Another type is a photoelectric detector, which powers a small beam of light that, when broken by smoke, will sound an alarm. This type tends to be more sensitive to smoke from a smouldering fire, such as a cigarette on upholstery.
To be safe, homeowners are advised to use both types of detectors in their homes because no one can predict the type of fire that may break out, nor where it might start. Locate them strategically based on the type. Also, be sure your units are tested regularly, and their batteries are changed bi-annually