If you are planning to sell your home, keep in mind that potential buyers might have quite a few concerns regarding your beloved animals. You will need to do a deep clean inside and out, and likely some repair work before your home can go on the market. Removing signs that you have a pet is simply smart practice. Why turn off a buyer at the get-go? It's those first impressions that are so important.

Some reasons why a homebuyer might not want to have your pets around:

Allergies: 

Plenty of people are allergic to cats and dogs, so the residual fur and dander around the house could trigger a reaction such as coughing or sneezing even if your pets aren’t in the same room as potential buyers.

Fear/Nervousness: 

Although most of us love our pets like they are part of the family, an animal can become aggressive to a stranger in their territory. The potential buyer might be nervous around your pets if they’ve had a bad experience in the past, they’re inexperienced with animals in general, or if your pet seems hostile towards them.

Concern with potential house odour/damage: 

If a buyer sees the pet toys and food dishes around the house, they may have a bias against the property, especially if there is a less-than-fresh smell in the air. Just knowing an animal is around might also worry the buyer that there are urine stains or damage somewhere in the house.

Solutions to these problems:

Here are a few tips for solving some of the issues that come from selling a home with pets.

Repair any damages: 

Take a walk through your home, keeping an eye out for any spots that have been stained, chewed, scratched, or damaged in any way. It is very important that you repair everything before you begin showing your home. If potential buyers see damage in one spot, they may assume there are other issues elsewhere n the house. 

Clean or Replace Floors/Carpets: 

If you were considering swapping your flooring to laminate, now would be a good time for that, especially if the carpets are irreversibly stained from your pets. If replacing the flooring isn’t an option, hire a professional to steam-clean all carpeted spaces. This will at least remove most odours and minimize staining.

Relocate your pets temporarily:

As hard as it is to be apart from our fluffy friends, to ensure you get the highest price for your home, it’s best to relocate your pet while the house is on the market. Try to keep them out of the house until you have a firm accepted offer. There are a variety of options to keep your pets comfortable in a ‘home away from home’:

• Ask a friend or relative to take them in for the duration of the listing.
• Move out of the home prior to listing and take your pets with you.
• Board them at a kennel/pet hotel.

And if it isn’t possible to relocate them, try to ensure they are not present for any showings or open houses.

Hide anything related to your pets:

Putting away the food and water dishes, toys, crates, scratching posts, and any signs of your pets will give the home a cleaner appearance throughout.

Keep your home smelling fresh:

A strong odour is in fact one of the top reasons a buyer will pass on a home. Over time we grow used to the scent of our animals and become ‘blind’ to smells that potential buyers might be turned off by. Try to avoid Febreeze and chemical air fresheners, as buyers might have allergies to the strong deodorizers.

As mentioned, it’s a great idea to have all the carpets professionally cleaned to clear any pet odours that might be lingering there. As well as floor cleaning:

• Dispose of any items that have had urine on them.
• Do not have a litter box in the house (or have it in a place like a garage, or somewhere with windows that can be opened) **Keep it well-cleaned and scooped
• Feed your pet dry food instead of wet (to avoid lingering pet food smells)
• Put away any pet beds
• Keep the yard clear of any animal feces
• Throw away any old stuffed toys
• Try enzyme cleaners such as Simple Solution, Nature's Miracle, or call a professional ozone company.
• Set up a natural odour remover, such as an ultrasonic diffuser with essential oils (citrus oils work well to clear the air of unpleasant smells)

Have a friend or neighbour come in for a sniff to tell you if there are any strange scents left in the house after all your cleaning and preparations.

While all of these preparations can seems like a lot of work, your efforts to keep the house clean and presentable will pay off in the end. Buyers will be more confident in the quality of your home and that boosts the likelihood of a faster sale and higher sale price.

Until next time,

Darin

Canadian winters can be rough, even in our usually rainy province! Last year proved that snow can kick our butts if we’re not prepared.

Here are some helpful tips to help you ‘winterize’ your home and protect yourself and your investment from harm.

1. Test and maintain smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.
2. Ensure your furnace, wood stove and any other heating sources are in good working condition 

• Have them inspected, maintained and cleaned. During the winter season, clean or replace furnace air filters each month.

3. If you go on vacation, even for a few days, leave the heat on and have someone you trust check on your home while you are away.
4. Although you are leaving the heat on, trying to keep the thermostat as low as possible while still keeping the house a comfortable temperature. For every degree you lower the thermostat, you'll save between 1 and 3 percent of your heating bill.
5. Run water through all plumbing fixtures regularly.
6. Prevent freezing of pipes by fitting exposed pipes with insulation sleeves or wrapping. 
7. Test plumbing shut-off valves.

• To locate your shut-off valves, check the inside perimeter of your home, street side. The valve can be shut off by turning the handle or knife-style valve clockwise.
• If you cannot find your shut-off valves, look on your property inspection report in section 6.1.
• The water can also be shut off at the meter by locating the ground-level metal or plastic trap door located near the street. (Call the water company emergency line before doing this) and use a wrench to turn house-side valve off, clockwise.
• Additional information can be found by googling ‘water company emergency line’ for your city.

8. Make sure any outdoor hoses are drained and stowed away neatly. Turn off exterior water spigots. It's also a good idea to seal any water leaks around the place. 
9. Drain any air conditioner pipes, and make sure you don't have excess water pooled in equipment. If your A/C has a water shutoff valve, go ahead and turn that off.
10. Inspect your attic for frost accumulation, and check your eavestroughs/gutters and roof for potential ice dams or icicles
11. Keep your sidewalk and the front stairs of your house clear of snow and ice.
12. Keep snow away from gas meters, gas appliance vents, exhaust vents and basement windows.
13. Trim branches that are close to your house or electrical wires.
14. If possible, pick up a window insulation kit at your local hardware or discount store. Properly installed window plastic is essentially invisible, so it won’t be noticeable. Window insulation adds a buffer against drafts and the extra still air space can give a nice boost to your home's ability to hold heat.

Stay cozy and safe!

Until next time,

Darin

If you’re searching for a great new home, don’t miss out on this gorgeous West Cloverdale house! It is perfect for a growing family with four bedrooms on the main floors and two additional bedrooms in the basement suite! 

If you’ve already got kids, or are planning to start a family, the house is close by AJ McLellan Elementary and Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary! 

It’s also only a short walk to Cloverdale Athletic Park. This family-friendly, sports-oriented park is available for a wide range of outdoor sports, with their artificial and turf soccer fields, softball diamonds, tennis courts, basketball court, and even a lacrosse box! There are also lots of pathways around the park for walking or jogging and a bike park with runs, jumps, and a freestyle area. Plenty of fun to be had there!

The area surrounding the house is simply beautiful and you can enjoy the outdoors without any worry about our rainy seasons thanks to the extended patio overhang in the backyard. If you’ve got a green thumb, there is also plenty of room for a garden!

Inside, tall windows brighten the already spacious and open-concept main floor and it’s the perfect space for entertaining a large group of friends or having a family get together. The flow of the rooms allows the cook to whip up their delicious meal while still getting to visit and chat with everyone.  

Upstairs, the rooms are just as spacious and bright as below and the ensuite bathroom has a huge tub for relaxing after a long day at work. You could also curl up in front of one of the two gas fireplaces with a warm drink and a good book. 

The basement suite has two bedrooms and another kitchen, plus plenty more - if you want to have family or tenants staying with you. It’s just an all around great place!

For a fantastic, exclusive video tour of the entire house, check it out here! You definitely don’t want to miss out on this place!

Until next time,

Darin

Whether you're a homeowner or a renter, you may need WorkSafeBC coverage when you hire people to work in or around your home; or if you are the prime contractor in the construction of your own home.

Although it is a very important process to protect yourself from fines and liability, it seems that the majority of people aren’t aware of the rules and coverage required with hiring help or doing renovations and repairs. This leave them exposed to potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation costs if someone is injured on the job.

For example, former premier Gordon Campbell failed to assign the role of “prime contractor” to the contractor whose company was renovating his vacation home. 

An accident occurred where one worker lost his balance and fell nearly eighteen feet to his death. At the time he was wearing a fall arrest harness but had not secured it to an anchor point. Three other employees of the company were also on the roof, all without fall arrest equipment.

Paul Devine, a lawyer with Miller Thomson who specializes in health and safety law, said:

“Most homeowners would go out and hire as a contractor and assume they would bring in all the subtrades and make sure they are looked after. The problem is under the legislation it says you have to assign a prime contractor in writing and if you don't the owner becomes the prime contractor. Homeowners, whether they are hiring one or more contractors should always assign the role of prime contractor to one company.”

In Campbell's case, there were three separate companies working on his project, two groups of carpenters and the roofers. All were registered with WorkSafe, but because no one was assigned as ‘prime contractor’, the role of ensuring they all complied with health and safety regulations fell to Campbell, something investigators said the former premier was unaware of. Campbell was not on the site when the accident occurred.

In cases where contractors aren't registered with WorkSafe, homeowners are fully liable for any compensation costs.

Knowing If You Need To Register With WorkSafeBC

• Voluntary Coverage
• Apply for Coverage

Hiring your own worker

For childcare, you may need coverage for someone who provides care before or after school, such as a babysitter or part-time nanny.

Ongoing services around your home

You may need coverage for an individual who provides ongoing home services, such as a gardener, chef, housekeeper, home health worker, or full-time nanny.

Projects around your home

You may need coverage for individuals who provide one-time home services, such as cleaning gutters, painting, and renovation.

*Note: Calculate the total hours worked to complete the job, regardless of how many workers there are. 

For example: If three workers work nine hours each, the job will take 27 hours to complete, and the homeowner would be required to register with WorkSafeBC.

Hiring an independent business

As a homeowner, you’re not eligible to register with WorkSafeBC unless you hire a worker. If you only hire independent businesses, you do not need to register.  This is because that business is independent and would not be considered your worker.  

Examples of an independent business include:

• A limited or incorporated company (in other words, they have Inc., Co., or Ltd. after their business name)
• An individual who provides a service (for example, gutter cleaning) and has multiple clients
• An individual who supplies all the labour and materials for a fixed contract price

Before you hire an independent business, you should always make sure that business is registered with WorkSafeBC and making payments as required. If it is not, you could be held responsible for its premiums. You can check the registration and payment status of a business if you get a clearance letter from us.

Being the prime contractor in the construction of your own home

If you are acting as the prime contractor in the construction of your own home you are subject to the health and safety provisions of the Workers Compensation Act and also may be required to register with WorkSafeBC. Learn about rights and responsibilities for workplace health and safety.

Be sure to get a clearance letter for each contractor to make sure they're in good standing with WorkSafeBC; otherwise you could be held jointly liable for any unpaid WorkSafeBC insurance premiums if the contractor you hire does not pay their premiums during the period they worked for you. Learn about responsibilities for contractors and subcontractors.

Until next time,

Darin

Sources: https://www.worksafebc.com/en/insurance/need-coverage/who-needs-coverage/homeowners

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Roofer+fatal+fall+Gordon+Campbell+home+highlights+little+known/6254649/story.html

Drinks. Everything Real Estate. Food. Fun.

Join Darin and mortgage specialist Jeff Ingram (of Ingram Mortgage Group) as they discuss the latest morgage rule changes announced by the federal government last month.

This month, Jeff and Darin are trying the How Sound's Father John's Winter Ale. A tasty winter ale that is smooth, easy drinking with just the perfect amount of flavour. A big thank you to @HoweSoundBrewery for the flavourful conversation starter! Learn all about what Howe Sound Brewing has to offer here

For the latest stats for your area, click the link below to view the Home Price Index statistics we having lovingly repurposed on an easy to read graph for individual neighbourhoods in our area!

Click here

Lastly, please be sure to let us know what you love about the video, what we could improve on or do different. We are always trying to provide value to our favourite people. You!

Until next time,

Darin

Did you hold off purchasing a home for whatever reason?

• Saving some more money for a down payment?
• Waiting for a raise at work?
• Exiting a rental agreement?

The average detached home in the Fraser Valley (Abbotsford all the way to North Delta) in the last calendar month, year over year, went up over 11.2% from September 2016 to September 2017.

Check out the infographic below.

The biggest question potential purchasers want to ask themselves is, "Is waiting really the best option?"

If you are saving for a down payment, can you save more in a year than the property's price is raising? Likely not...

The numbers are staggering and intimidating, yet the best thing you can do is know what is possible in your current situation. Have you talked to a bank or mortgage professional about financing? Have you spoke with your Realtor regarding a purchase? If not, now may be a good time to get pointed in the right direction.

Until next time,

Darin