Portrait Of Happy Senior Couple Sitting Outside House With For Sale Sign

What happens after you receive an offer?

by May 2020

Selling your house is an exciting, albeit stressful, process. Between choosing a realtor, deciding on a price, figuring out how to best prepare your home for the market and enduring countless showings and open houses, you may feel pretty tapped out by the time the offers start rolling in. Unfortunately, there are still a few major decisions to be made, but rest assured – the end is in sight.

When a prospective buyer decides they want to purchase your home, they will submit an Offer to Purchase (sometimes called an Agreement of Sale and Purchase). This is a legal document and should come to your real estate agent through the buyer’s realtor.

The Offer to Purchase will include the price the buyers are willing to pay, any items in the home they want included in the purchase price (window coverings, appliances etc.), the desired closing date, the amount of their deposit, the date the offer expires and any other conditions. Obtaining financing and a satisfactory home inspection are common conditions included in most offers. You may also be asked to provide a current land survey.

Your realtor will meet with you to discuss the offer. At this time, you will decide if you want to accept the offer or make a counter-offer. If you accept the offer as is, the deal is done and the buyer is locked into the agreement (assuming the conditions of the offer are met in the required time frame.) If you counter-offer (asking for a higher price or different terms), the buyer then has the opportunity to accept your counter-offer, make another counter-offer or walk away from the deal completely.

If a home inspection is listed as one of the conditions of sale, it is the buyer’s responsibility to arrange the inspection and set up a mutually agreeable date and time for the inspection to take place. The buyer’s realtor and the prospective buyers will likely be present for the inspection. It is their responsibility to ensure that the home inspection and financing are completed and arranged before the Offer to Purchase expires.
Once the deal is finalized, feel free to start packing!

Spruce up your patio

Spruce Up Your Patio

by May 2020

May has arrived and it won’t be long before we’re taking advantage of our backyard space! At this early stage in the season, trees and shrubs are still budding, but you might be craving a little colour! Luckily, there are so many ways that you can add some serious style to your patio and backyard.

For some instant green foliage, bring your indoor plants outside. May is usually a safe time to start acclimating plants to the outdoors for the summer season but be sure to bring them inside at night if it’s still cool, and don’t place them in direct sunlight for more than a few hours. Strategically place plants around the seating area, just as you would indoors.

A hot trend for 2020 is mixing materials. Mixing materials is a way to find good quality patio furniture while being able to show your unique style. Some common examples you’ll see are wicker furniture with a cast aluminium frame. Search clearance bins for colourful throw pillows you won’t mind tossing after the summer season and find a couple outdoor rugs to really bring the space together.

The party doesn’t have to stop when the sun goes down! The addition of some cute string lights for your patio is a great way to add some character when having friends or family over for a party. You can also get floor lamps with LED lightbulbs, some of which can be controlled by your phone. Being able to change the colour and intensity of LED’s around your patio means that you’ll be able to plan for any occasion!

There are lots of ways to show your personality throughout your home. Show your backyard and patio some love this season, and make the best out of the season!