Parksville Real Estate: Tips and Tricks

Buying or selling real estate can be challenging, especially if it is your first time doing so. There are many factors to consider and you do not want to miss anything. 

If you are listing or buying real estate in Parksville, British Columbia, we can help. Here are several useful tips and tricks that will help you get the most out of your listing or purchase. 

Stay within your budget 

It is important to be practical about your budget when shopping for a home, which includes not purchasing a home at the top of your budget, as this won’t leave you wiggle room for things like property transfer taxes, mortgage insurance, lawyer fees, and any other unexpected costs or repairs. 

If you find yourself in a bidding war for a home you really like, you might get discouraged, but bidding wars are still happening in today’s market. If you are on the buying end of real estate, it is important to follow your Realtor’s advice and not exceed your budget in the excitement of the bidding process. Don’t let the process discourage you and know that you will find the right home. 

Get pre-approved for your mortgage

One of the best ways to make sure you stay within budget is getting pre-approved for a mortgage. A pre-approved mortgage will allow you to determine the maximum amount you can borrow, including rates and monthly mortgage payments so you will not have any surprises at the borrowing stage. 

A mortgage broker will help you with this process, and can even assist with a rate hold for a period of time. There are several excellent mortgage brokers in the Parksville area including Lisa Oleksiuk and Regan Dziadyk. 

List on Friday, look on Friday

The best day to list real estate is typically Friday mornings, as many potential buyers search for listings on Fridays to attend open houses on the weekends. Throughout the week, especially on Mondays, people are typically more focused on work than finding a listing, and so there are often more openings to view a home during the week.  

Likewise, if you are searching for a home, check the listings early Friday morning. You will see the newly listed houses right away and can organize your weekend around open houses. 

Order a home inspection

Once you reach an accepted offer, it is wise to have a home inspection as one of your conditional clauses. Having a professional home inspector look over the finer details of the home can save you from complications or unexpected renovations early on. If a home inspector notices something that affects the functioning of the home, you can also sometimes use that as leveraging power to negotiate a lower price. 

Put your best foot forward 

If you are selling real estate, you want to make sure you prepare your home well for the listing process and showings. It is important to remove as much clutter as possible and create a sense of space so that potential buyers can picture themselves living in the home. Also take care of any paint touch ups required, and minor repairs so your home presents at its very best. Don’t forget the landscaping details, curb appeal is important to a buyer’s first impression of a home. 

When listing your home, the Realtor will ask many questions to ensure they are marketing your home with the correct details. The Realtor will also ensure professional photos are taken of your home, and often provide the marketing materials for a successful listing and sale. 

Often, an open house arranged by your Realtor can help ensure people have plenty of opportunities to view your home. 

Hire an excellent Realtor

Realtors provide essential advice at many points during the buying or selling process. The best way to make sure your real estate sale or purchase goes as smoothly as possible and that you make the best investment decisions for you is to work with an experienced Realtor from the area who knows what they are doing. 

If you are buying or selling on the east coast of Vancouver Island, The Nicklen Group is here for you. Contact us to get started.