Home Buying Advice

Are you looking to buy a new home?  Whether it's your first-time home buyer or whether you are a seasoned owner/buyer, it still is an exciting experience.  Yes, there are days when you think that it will never happen.  But, I can guarantee it, when you enter that right home, all your fears will be laid to rest.

We all know that the appearance of the home from the outside helps make a decision if we even want to go in and take a look.  You have been told, and have read, by many that a buyer makes a decision within the first couple of minutes of arriving at a listed property.  Well, what happens when you get inside?

In my experience, most women will head towards the kitchen...checking out storage, closets, powder rooms, areas towards the kitchen...dragging their husbands with them.  The homemaker, spends most of his/her time in this area and the family room.  These rooms are vital to them.  For some reason, and I'm not being prejudiced, the husbands tend to want to look at the garage (will our cars and toys fit?).  Also, the basement, and it doesn't matter if it is finished or not, is another aspect of the home that interests the husbands.  After these two areas are looked at, then we head toward the bedrooms.

Both parties get to look at, and agree or disagree, about these particular areas of the home.  But there is one area of the purchase that both, husband and wife, will spend time looking at.  It's the outside of the home.  Most ask questions about the age and condition of the roof, age of the windows, is the property graded correctly (away from the home), condition of the furnace and air conditioning units, electrical panels, and there are a few more things on the list. 

The home inpsection will answer a lot of your questions, but also your Realtor will be able to ask the Listing Agent if there are any problems with water seepage, plumbing, electrical (aluminum wiring), etc.

When you are looking at the home, don't focus on the cosmetic issues.  There's no point of arranging and completing a beautiful, and at times costly, home renovation only to have it ruined by water damage.  Make sure that your caulking around the windows is well done to save you energy costs.  .  Make sure your structure is sound and the outside is complete before you begin the work on the inside.  We only have a few months of the year that we can work and complete outside maintenance.  We can do work inside on those cold months.

If you are considering purchasing a home, or selling your house, give me a call so that we can sit and chat about what's involved in both of these processes.  I can be reached directly at 416 427 1875.  You can text this number if you prefer.  Or, if you don't want to talk to me right now, you can email me at betty@bettybart.com.  Visit my web site at www.bettybart.com and take a look at free information that I provide.