Renovating can increase your home’s value significantly—or slightly—depending on the type of renovation, the current state of your home, and how much time and money you invest in it.
Not all renovation projects are the same, and knowing what to do and what not to do is the best way to ensure that any changes you make will come back to you when you sell and be up to code with local regulations.
The temperatures may be dropping, but that doesn’t mean you have to shy away from enjoying the great outdoors.
A good coat, pair of boots, and other winter staples will get you more than ready to brave the cold for some well-worth-it outdoor activities Ottawa has to offer.
From winter sports to walking trails, there is no shortage of ways to enjoy winter in all its glory when you live or visit Ottawa this season.
Owning a first home is a huge deal. Most new homeowners will remember the experience of going from renter to owner and finally getting all the boxes in the door for the rest of their lives.
For new homeowners, especially, giving them a gift that will help make the experience that much better is a great way to help them settle into their brand-new-to-them property. But what gifts are best when gifting new homeowners something they’ll love and use? We’ve got you covered.
Selling during the holiday season is considered a bad time to put your home on the market, but you don’t always get to choose when it’s time to put a for-sale sign on your lawn. For example, relocating to a new job in the new year often means selling in the months leading up to the holidays.
Regardless of why you need to sell at the end of the year, there are ways to ensure that you take full advantage of the merry season and have the most lucrative selling experience.
Ottawa is a city filled with a rich history. As the capital of Canada, it has Parliament Hill, a national historic site. However, it isn’t just the official buildings that offer unique charm dating back to the 1800s. Many historic and heritage properties within the town lines give people a unique look into where the city came from and the architecture that lived through it all.
Buying a cottage or a rural property can be a great way to establish a home away from home or move to an area that offers the peace and quiet of living closer to natural landscapes.
With Ottawa's population growing, rural living is becoming increasingly popular as a way to avoid the disadvantages of having thousands of neighbours.
While there are many pros to buying a cottage or rural property, there are also some pitfalls that you should be aware of so that you don’t end up purchasing the secluded house of your dreams only to find out it’s a literal nightmare.
Heading into retirement can be both exciting and scary because of the newness of it all. For those living in the Ottawa area, retiring isn’t simply about ceasing to work; it’s about finding and creating a new life conducive to your current lifestyle, state of health, and financial situation.
That said, it’s not always easy to figure out the retirement landscape without a bit of help from people who know the city best. That’s why, if you’re an Ottawa resident who has retired or is gearing up to retire, there are some things you should know about retirement living in Canada’s capital.
When people are looking to upgrade their home, they often spend a lot of time fixing up the most-used rooms in the house, such as the bathroom and kitchen. These updates, while often worth it in the long run, aren’t the only valuable options when it comes to improving your property.
In fact, there’s a whole outdoor space that you could invest in, and that can bring you more of a return than most think.
Landscaping the outdoor space of your home will not only improve how you view and enjoy your property. It’s also a potential selling point if you plan to move to a new property in the near or far future.
First impressions matter when meeting new people, interviewing for a new job, and, of course, when selling a home. However, the first impression in real estate is far from shaking hands and making good eye contact. It’s all about how your property looks when potential buyers first pull up to the curb.
The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing has released its Luxury Market report, showing a stronger but variable spring market. The report highlights trends, pricing realism, and a guide to marketing upper-tier properties.
The report is helpful because when you have a property that fits the title of “luxury” the selling process is different compared to regular properties. After all, with premium amenities, exclusive property, and a high level of opulence, it can’t be lumped in with regular listings. That’s why it’s crucial to choose the right luxury real estate agent, such as Lorie Ann Warren, a luxury certified agent(CLHMS) on your side.
Luxury real estate agents are specifically trained to deal with homes that are upwards of $30 million. They know the ins and outs of the process and are well-equipped to handle the high-level sale. These real estate agents also know how to market your home differently to appeal to the right crowd. This is how they do it.
When you’re buying or selling a property, negotiation is often just part of the process. Both parties want to get the best deal and walk away happy, and that often involves arriving at a happy medium when it comes to compromising on certain aspects to benefit in other ways.
However, if you’re not well acquainted with the art of negotiating, it can be a challenging part of the buying or selling process. The good news is that negotiation strategies are learnable skills that you can develop before going through the process of buying or selling a home.
When you’re house hunting, and you’ve finally found the one you’d like to call home, it’s time to start the process of buying it.
But before that, you’ll need to ensure that you can afford the property and that a lender will give you the mortgage to cover the purchase price. This is where the entire mortgage process comes into play.
To get the best mortgage possible and the house you love most, you’ll need to understand the mortgage process in a way that helps you make the right decisions when buying your home.
The real estate industry is ever-changing. As the world progresses toward a new way to look at home ownership, the trends that will pick up speed in the years ahead pull focus to the current economic and environmental landscape future buyers face today. From rising house prices, climate change advocacy, and increasing numbers of older adult family members, here are the five real estate trends to watch in 2024 and beyond.
Looking ahead, RE/MAX brokers and agents in Canada are anticipating an increase in recreational prices by 6.8 per cent. Meanwhile, the number of sales is expected to rise in the majority of regions analyzed (61.9 per cent), with increases ranging from three per cent upwards of 50 per cent this year.
If you want to sell your home for a lot of money but also want to get it done quickly, you may be told that you’ll have to pick one or the other. While selling fast and for a high amount isn’t always easy, it’s not impossible, and if you want to accomplish both, you can do so with the proper techniques.
Real estate investments are one of the largest asset classes worldwide, so it’s no wonder that many people want to take their shot at being a part of the club. There’s a lot of money to be made in real estate investing, and it’s often considered a low-risk investment, making it that much more desirable.
While luxury home-buying activity in Ottawa was strong out of the gate, sales softened somewhat in February with affordability taking a backseat to inventory. Just 48 freehold properties priced over $1.2 million changed hands in the first two months of 2024, down over seven per cent when compared to the 52 sales that took place between January and February of 2023.
A lot goes into buying and selling homes. When it comes to home value, factors such as current market trends, buyer and seller demand, and the current state of the economy all play a vital role in determining a property's listing price.
That said, a property’s true value is based on different factors in the appraisal process. But what exactly is a home appraisal, and why is it essential in real estate transactions?